As the 2026 US midterm elections approach, concerns grow over the Department of Homeland Security’s intensified use of the SAVE program, which cross-checks voter registrations against federal immigration data. Experts warn this effort could wrongly purge eligible voters and expose sensitive personal information, threatening election integrity and privacy.
- SAVE program expanded to cross-check millions of voter registrations
- Sixteen states provided full voter data with some planning purges
- Experts highlight risks of errors, privacy breaches, and disenfranchisement
What happened
The Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, originally created to verify public benefit eligibility, has been repurposed under the Trump administration to identify potential noncitizen voters. In 2025, the Department of Justice instructed nearly every state to hand over complete voter registration lists to cross-check against SAVE data, with the goal of purging ineligible voters within 45 days.
Sixteen states complied by submitting full voter rolls containing sensitive personal information including social security numbers and driver's license data. Texas and Alaska notably agreed to remove voters flagged as potential noncitizens, prompting local investigations and referrals to state attorneys general. However, many states resisted the directive, citing concerns over legal authority and privacy risks.
Why it matters
Experts and advocacy groups warn that SAVE data is unreliable for confirming citizenship status, as it provides only a limited 'snapshot in time' and can misclassify recently naturalized citizens as ineligible. Multiple studies show noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare, questioning the necessity of this aggressive federal intervention in election administration traditionally managed by states.
The forced release of unredacted voter data raises significant privacy concerns, exposing millions of voters to potential identity theft and intimidation. Critics argue federal overreach undermines election integrity by risking disenfranchisement of lawful voters and increasing mistrust in electoral processes, especially given the technical limitations and error margins in immigrant status verification.
What to watch next
The upcoming 2026 midterms will test whether states expand or resist DOJ efforts to enforce voter roll purges based on SAVE data. Legal challenges to the program’s constitutionality and privacy safeguards are ongoing, with groups like the Electronic Privacy Information Center actively suing to block the expanded use of SAVE in elections.
Voters and election officials alike should monitor reports of wrongful voter removals and data breaches closely. The evolving debate will likely influence future federal and state election policies around voter data sharing, citizenship verification, and protecting eligible voter rights while balancing election security concerns.