President Trump’s administration is pressing forward with a new voter‑data effort aimed at strengthening election integrity ahead of the November 3 midterms. On Friday, Justice Department attorneys will ask U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland not to block the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from creating lists of U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote. The administration says the move is essential to prevent noncitizens and deceased individuals from casting ballots.
Administration’s Rationale
In a statement released by the White House, spokesperson Lauren Bis emphasized that “despite extreme Democrats and the media claiming it never happens, the evidence of noncitizens registering and voting in our elections continues to pile up.” The executive order signed by President Trump in March directs DHS to draw on data from multiple federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration, and share the resulting citizenship lists with state election officials at least 60 days before each federal election.
Legal Challenges and Recent Court Decisions
Privacy advocates have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the DHS plan, arguing that compiling citizen data from other federal entities violates privacy laws. Judge Xinis is hearing the case this week. So far, the Trump administration has lost 25 lawsuits seeking to compel states to turn over complete voter rolls, and the Supreme Court recently declined to allow a separate effort to tighten mail‑in voting rules.
Critics and Their Arguments
Voting‑rights groups and Democratic‑leaning lawyers contend the initiative is a veiled attempt to disenfranchise eligible voters. Voting‑rights attorney Marc Elias, who frequently represents the Democratic Party, warned that “you can’t do mass disenfranchisement without a voter file.” John Hill of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, representing the plaintiffs, said the administration’s threat of prosecuting state officials could coerce states into using DHS lists to purge voters.
Data Accuracy Concerns
Recent reporting by Reuters highlighted that software glitches and clerical errors have added more than 30,000 self‑declared noncitizens to voter rolls nationwide since 2000, a number too small to affect election outcomes. For example, New Jersey reported a 2023‑2024 glitch that added 6,600 noncitizens, of whom fewer than 400 actually voted.
State Participation and Ongoing Review
DHS has already obtained voter rolls from at least 47 states and is reviewing them for potential ineligible registrations. The department is also supplementing government data with information from a commercial data broker, though the extent of personal identifiers collected remains unclear.
What’s Next?
If the court allows the DHS effort to proceed, the citizenship lists would be shared with state officials by early September, giving states a month to act before the November elections. The administration has also asked the Supreme Court to permit use of a revamped SAVE database, but a decision has not yet been issued.
While the legal battles continue, President Trump and his team remain steadfast, arguing that safeguarding the ballot box is a constitutional duty and a matter of protecting American families and communities.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
