Trump asks Supreme Court to revive SAVE database for voter checks
The Justice Department asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to let the Trump administration resume using a revamped immigration database to check state voter rolls — days after an appeals court left a nationwide ban in place.
What the government told the justices
Reuters quoted DOJ lawyers calling the district order “indefensible” and warning it undercuts the federal government’s ability to use Social Security data when answering state citizenship-verification requests.
The district court has issued an indefensible order that threatens the integrity of upcoming elections…
Why the D.C. Circuit said no
Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan and Judge Robert Wilkins upheld the ban, citing unlawful sharing of sensitive data and the risk that inaccurate citizenship flags force lawful voters to prove status — or lose registration. Judge Gregory Katsas dissented, arguing states have long queried DHS for eligibility data.
Midterms clock
Republicans are defending narrow majorities on Nov. 3. SAVE bulk uploads were already used by several states before the June injunction; foreign-born U.S. citizens have been among those wrongly flagged, per earlier coverage of Sooknanan’s findings. Tuesday’s Supreme Court ask puts the dispute on the fastest available federal clock.