A Bahamian permanent resident who has built a life in the United States over nearly five decades is now at risk of being deported, after federal authorities confirmed he cast an illegal ballot in the 2020 presidential election — on top of a long-standing criminal record including violent offenses.
Anthony Tyrone Higgs was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Decatur, Georgia on September 3, and remains detained by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed. Higgs first entered the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident in October 1976, but DHS has initiated removal proceedings to strip him of that status, citing his multiple past criminal convictions.
Court and law enforcement records show Higgs’ criminal history includes two separate convictions for unlawful weapons possession during violent criminal acts, two counts of grand larceny, armed robbery involving a deadly weapon, criminal domestic violence, assault on a law enforcement officer, and resisting arrest. What complicated the case further, DHS officials say, was an August probe by Homeland Security Investigations that confirmed Higgs cast an illegal vote in the 2020 presidential contest.
Higgs’ arrest aligns with a stepped-up push by the second Trump administration to target non-citizens suspected of participating illegally in U.S. elections. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin labeled Higgs a “criminal alien” with an extensive record of violent behavior. “On top of all of that, he illegally voted in the 2020 election,” Mullin said in a statement. “If even one non-citizen votes in our elections, it cancels out the vote of an American citizen.”
Mullin added that the agency is moving forward to remove Higgs from the U.S. so he can no longer impact the country’s election processes. White House spokesperson Lauren Bis also weighed in on the case to Fox News Digital, saying Higgs had automatically forfeited his right to remain in the U.S. through his criminal actions and illegal voting. “This alien was a guest in our country,” Bis said. “who forfeited his right to be in the US when he committed these violent crimes and voted in the 2020 election.” Bis emphasized that any non-citizen found to have voted illegally would face arrest and subsequent removal from the country.
The case comes at a time when The Bahamas is already processing a steady stream of deportees returning from the United States. Last month, Bahamian Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell released data showing that 140 Bahamians had been deported from the U.S. between January and August of this year. Breaking down the monthly numbers, 30 deportees returned in January, 14 in February, another 30 in March, 18 in April, 14 in May, 14 in June, 2 in July, and 18 in August. The first and third months of the year saw the highest volumes of returnees, with 30 deportees each.
As Higgs’ case moves through the U.S. immigration court system, he remains in ICE detention awaiting a final decision on his removal.