An individual with a final deportation order since 1997 was registered to vote in Connecticut after being released back into the U.S. by the Biden administration earlier this year. Seyo Cecunjanin, a Montenegrin national, registered to vote through the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles in 2018, according to records obtained by the West Hartford Republican Town Committee.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated that Cecunjanin was released back into the U.S. in 2024 after returning from Serbia, despite the standing deportation order. Cecunjanin first entered the U.S. illegally in 1997 and received a final removal order later that year. He departed for Serbia in July 2024 and returned approximately two weeks later, before his June arrest.
Records indicate Cecunjanin never cast a ballot. The Connecticut secretary of the state’s office confirmed that he was marked as an inactive voter in January 2023 after failing to respond to a National Change-of-Address canvass. Inactive voters remain on the rolls but cannot vote until their registration information is confirmed or updated, as per state and federal law.
Senator Richard Blumenthal and other Connecticut Democratic officials had previously advocated for Cecunjanin's release from ICE custody last month. Blumenthal issued a statement on July 3, celebrating Cecunjanin's release and stating, "I’ll support his efforts to gain permanent legal status and more. Welcome home, Seyo."
This development has drawn criticism from Republicans, who have highlighted it as a concern regarding election security and immigration laws. The West Hartford Republican Town Committee posted the voter registration records on X, formerly known as Twitter. Representatives for Cecunjanin and Blumenthal's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.