A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot use Social Security data to purge voter rolls, citing violations of federal privacy protections. The decision is a major setback for President Trump’s effort to find and remove ineligible voters from state lists.

Background

The case centered on the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, which has long been used to verify citizenship for public benefits. The Trump administration expanded the program to include Social Security data and other agency sources, aiming to use it to check voter rolls for noncitizens.

The judge’s ruling halts the use of the expanded data system, which had been encouraged by the administration and was also being used to punish states that didn’t comply. The decision may impact other projects, including the Department of Homeland Security’s effort to assemble lists of voting-age citizens for each state.

Reaction

Voter advocacy organizations and a privacy group had challenged the administration’s plan, arguing that it harmed their privacy rights and could wrongly identify citizens as noncitizens. The groups welcomed the judge’s ruling, calling it a victory for democracy and the right to vote.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.