Supreme Court permits social security data use in voter checks

The Supreme Court ruled Friday, September 25, that the Trump administration can deploy an expansive federal database combining citizenship information, Social Security numbers, and other sensitive data to aid states in flagging noncitizens on voter rolls.

The 6-3 decision along ideological lines grants an emergency request from the government after lower courts blocked the rollout, funding the administration’s changes to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, which are likely unlawful.

In 1986, the SAVE program was initiated by Congress to assist agencies verify immigration status for benefits. The Trump administration expanded it after a March 2025 executive order, adding Social Security Administration data that enabled searches using Social Security numbers and bulk queries.

Critics have cautioned that the faulty data might result in American citizens getting their names unjustly stricken off the voter lists prior to the midterm elections. As observed by the court, the National Voter Registration Act prevents mass purging before an election and only allows for targeted inquiry of individuals, "limiting its impact" this time around.

Last year, Texas became one of the first states to run its full voter rolls. Just three people have been charged with noncitizen voting. Local officials reported mistakes, with many flagged registrants being newly naturalised citizens.