Nearly 30 Democratic senators have sent a stern warning to the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security, cautioning them against taking any illegal steps to implement President Trump's March executive order that seeks to force states to verify citizenship before allowing people to vote. The order, already challenged in court by multiple states, aims to restrict mail-in voting and create a federal database to check citizenship status.
In a letter spearheaded by Senator Gary Peters of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the lawmakers argued that the foreseeable result of such actions would be the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of eligible U.S. citizens who could be incorrectly removed from voter rolls on Election Day.
The executive order directs the SSA to compile a "State Citizenship List" using its own data, naturalization records, and the Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, which is normally used to determine eligibility for federal benefits. The senators pointed out that reports have already confirmed that eligible Americans are being targeted for removal after being erroneously flagged as non-citizens by the SAVE program, partly due to flawed data from the SSA.
The letter also highlighted concerns about the SAVE database's accuracy, noting that DHS itself has previously acknowledged that the system "may produce inaccurate results." The senators accused DHS of rolling out an overhauled SAVE program without proper regard for accuracy or data security, and of taking only minimal, retroactive steps to comply with federal privacy and notice requirements in the face of litigation.
"At President Trump's direction, you are now being asked to use the SAVE program to facilitate even more violations of the law and Constitution," the letter states. It also notes that DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin had previously pledged to use SAVE only for lawful purposes.
Neither DHS nor the SSA responded immediately to requests for comment. The letter argues that the SSA has no definitive information on U.S. citizenship and that there is no legal or historical precedent for federal involvement in state-run elections.
Peters and the other lawmakers are demanding a briefing from leadership at both agencies. Their pushback comes amid broader concerns that Trump may interfere with upcoming elections, including by deploying the National Guard or imposing requirements on states that they are not obligated to follow.
Twenty-three states have already sued over the order, arguing that Trump lacks the constitutional authority to dictate how states manage elections. The order also comes as Congress has failed to advance legislation that would require proof of citizenship to vote. Numerous studies have found only a handful of cases of noncitizen voting, and states already have multiple methods to verify voter eligibility.
"Although the Administration claims that these tasks are necessary to prevent voter fraud, a multitude of laws and processes already prevent noncitizens from voting, and independent research has consistently found that voter fraud is extremely rare," the letter concludes.
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