Judge Blocks Trump Administration Use of Citizenship Database for Voter Checks
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from using a revamped federal database containing citizenship and personal-identification information to help verify voter eligibility.
The ruling targets changes made to the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE database, which was expanded to allow broader voter-roll citizenship checks using information that included Social Security-linked records and citizenship data. Voting-rights groups argued the system risked privacy violations and could incorrectly identify eligible voters as noncitizens.
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In a lengthy opinion, the court sided with challengers who said the administration’s changes exceeded legal protections surrounding personal information and threatened voting rights. The judge concluded the system could lead to wrongful voter removals while relying on data that may not always accurately reflect citizenship status.
The decision deals a significant blow to one of the administration’s election-related initiatives and underscores continuing legal battles over how states and the federal government verify voter eligibility. The administration is expected to continue defending the program and could pursue appeals.
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