WASHINGTON D.C.— A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration illegally expanded the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE database, a system originally designed to verify immigrants’ eligibility for government benefits, to help identify potential noncitizen voters. The judge found that the changes violated federal privacy laws, the Social Security Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act by allowing federal agencies to combine and share personal information from millions of Americans without proper legal authority.

The ruling blocks Homeland Security from using the revamped SAVE system and could complicate the administration’s efforts to verify voter citizenship ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The judge cited evidence that the system contained inaccurate citizenship information and had wrongly flagged some naturalized U.S. citizens, leading to voter registration issues in Texas. Voting rights groups praised the decision, arguing that the database could be used to improperly purge eligible voters.

The Trump administration defended the program as a tool to prevent noncitizen voting and indicated it may appeal the decision. The ruling also comes as the administration has sought voter-roll data from states and considered tying homeland security grant funding to states’ use of SAVE and election security measures. If the decision stands, it could significantly limit the federal government's ability to use the database in election administration before the November midterms.

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