Antonio Mitchell, 54, a Jamaican citizen living in New Jersey, has been detained on suspicion of illegally taking part in elections. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), he allegedly registered as a voter and cast ballots in federal elections from 2000 to 2022, even though he did not hold U.S. citizenship. He was detained on Oct. 28, a few days before elections for Congress and state offices.
Mitchell was detained by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents in New Jersey. ICE said he has status as a lawful permanent resident of the United States, which allows him to live and work in the country but does not entitle him to vote in federal elections. Investigators suspect that for more than two decades he took part in numerous primaries and general elections in violation of election laws.
The case came to light in connection with an application for U.S. citizenship that Mitchell filed in January 2025. According to ICE, he stated in the documents that he had never registered to vote or voted in any federal, state or local election. The information in the application became the subject of an investigation conducted in cooperation with ICE, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Federal law generally prohibits people who are not U.S. citizens from taking part in federal elections. Criminal liability can also arise from providing false information on a naturalization application.
Law enforcement has not yet released additional findings on how many elections Mitchell allegedly voted in. The case remains under investigation.
Ed. JŁ
Source: Nowy Dziennik
