A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot use Social Security data to purge voter rolls, citing federal privacy protections. The decision is a major setback for President Donald Trump’s effort to find foreigners on state voter lists.

Background

The case centered on the federal data program known as SAVE, which has long been used by the government to verify citizenship for public benefits. The Trump administration expanded the program to include Social Security data and other agency sources, which the judge found to be a violation of federal privacy protections.

The judge’s ruling halts the use of the expanded data system, which had been encouraged by the administration and was being used to check voter rolls for noncitizens. The decision may also impact other projects, including the Justice Department’s effort to collect each state’s unredacted voter registration file.

Reaction

Voter advocacy organizations and a privacy group had challenged the administration’s plan, arguing that it would wrongly ensnare citizens and risk the disenfranchisement of eligible voters. The president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which represented the challengers, called the ruling an ‘important victory for the American people and our democracy.’

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.