Lawsuit Filed Against Trump Administration for Concealing Records About Shadowy Voter Data Maintenance Efforts
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, American Oversight and Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed suit against the Trump administration for failing to release records about new federal voter data maintenance efforts, including the Department of Homeland Security’s overhaul of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system, which has evolved into a federal voter data system using various sources to flag potential noncitizens on state voter rolls — changes that could be used to justify large-scale voter purges and disenfranchise eligible voters. To date, the Trump administration has provided no explanation of how the system operates or what safeguards exist to protect Americans’ voter information from improper use.
The set of three lawsuits seek to compel the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to release emails and related records that could shed light on how the administration is using federal data systems to verify the citizenship of those on state voter rolls. The records could also reveal how agencies are coordinating to build or operate a shared voter-maintenance database.
“The Trump administration has quietly built a federal voter-roll program that could strip power from the states and silence millions of voters, yet it has offered virtually no explanation for how the system operates or how they will safeguard voters’ rights and protect the integrity of future elections. Given this administration’s record of weaponizing federal agencies to advance false claims of voter fraud, the public has every reason to be concerned,” said Chioma Chukwu, executive director of American Oversight. “The impact will fall hardest on those already forced to fight for access to the ballot — Black, brown, immigrant, low-income, disabled, and young voters — under the false banner of ‘fraud prevention.’ The public has a right to know what this system is, what data is being used, and whether proper safeguards are in place to protect voters. Transparency is essential to protecting the integrity of our elections and combating dangerous voter fraud conspiracies intended to disenfranchise marginalized communities.”
"Federal agencies appear to be collecting and sharing the highly sensitive personal information of millions of Americans with little to no public oversight or clarity into their purpose, and under the guise of so-called 'voter roll maintenance,’ which is a function entrusted to the states," said Jonathan Diaz, Director of Voting Advocacy and Partnerships at Campaign Legal Center. "These efforts are part of a troubling pattern of actions by the Trump administration to insert the executive branch into election processes that the Constitution assigns to Congress and the states, which could undermine Americans' freedom to vote. We will keep pushing for the federal government to be transparent on where this data is coming from and how it is being used so that every voter can vote with confidence that their voice will be heard in our elections.”
Louisiana was the first to use a new federal system to check the citizenship status of registered voters. However, Louisiana officials have reported that the system flagged just 79 instances of voting by suspected noncitizens in at least one election since the 1980s — a figure that represents only 0.0027 percent of the state’s 2.9 million registered voters, and may include some individuals who are in fact eligible to vote.
The lawsuit asks the court to order DHS, USCIS, and SSA to release all nonexempt, responsive records, including communications with DOGE and state election officials, contracts with outside entities, and any guidance or training materials related to implementation of the program.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has repeatedly used federal power to influence the 2026 midterm election cycle. With a history of punishing states that refuse to do his bidding, he has publicly pressed states to redraw congressional maps ahead of the midterms, intervening directly in the redistricting process in states like Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina to lock in additional Republican seats rather than wait for the usual post-census period.
Additionally, Trump ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate ActBlue, the main online fundraising platform for Democratic candidates, while ignoring its GOP counterpart, WinRed. The DOJ has also demanded detailed voter registration data from states, threatening legal action against some Democratic-led states that have not complied. Furthermore, Trump has also indicated he will sign an executive order outlawing voting machines and mail-in ballots, despite courts blocking his earlier executive actions that sought to impose proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration.