Trump administration's SAVE program scans 67 million voter registrations

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program has been used by the Trump administration to verify the citizenship status of about 67 million voter registrations, primarily in Republican‑controlled states. Since April 2025, at least 25 states have run their rolls through the expanded system, which flagged roughly 24,000 entries as potential non‑citizens and about 384,000 as possibly deceased.

Civil‑rights groups argue the process is error‑prone and could purge legitimate voters. Plaintiffs cite cases such as 29‑year‑old Anthony Nel, a naturalized citizen from South Africa whose Texas registration was temporarily cancelled, and veteran voter Domingo García, whose record was removed despite five decades of voting history. Lawyers with the ACLU of Ohio warn that “if a voter is wrongly removed, they may miss their chance to vote.”

The program’s expansion is part of President Trump’s effort to federalize election administration, including an executive order requiring DHS and the Social Security Administration to compile state lists of verified citizens before each federal election. Florida has enacted its own “SAVE Act” to mandate proof of citizenship for registration. The Justice Department has sued states that refuse to provide unredacted voter lists, while several lawsuits challenge state laws that require frequent SAVE checks.