Trump Administration Takes Another Step to Prevent Noncitizen Voting

State and local officials will be able to cross-check the citizenship status of individuals using a Social Security number as a means to prevent illegal voting and voter registration. 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it updated the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) to coordinate with the Social Security Administration. 

President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14248, “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” included a provision making the SAVE system accessible to state and local governments. 

“For years, states have pleaded for tools to help identify and stop aliens from hijacking our elections,” USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser said in a statement. 

The SAVE system is used for verifying lawful U.S. citizenship and immigration status. It is operated by USCIS and provides federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local agencies with U.S. citizenship and immigration status information about individuals’ eligibility for certain public benefits and licenses, including voter eligibility verification. 

“Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem, USCIS is moving quickly to eliminate voter fraud. We expect further improvements soon and remain committed to restoring trust in American elections,” Tragesser added. 

This new partnership with the Social Security Administration means local officials can verify citizenship or immigration status using Social Security numbers rather than a Department of Homeland Security identifying number, which most state and local agencies do not collect. 

State and local agencies can also submit more than one case at a time, making the process more efficient, according to USCIS.