Trump administration unveils major expansion of voter verification system to combat noncitizen voting
By bellecarter // 2025-05-28
Copy
 
  • On May 22, the Trump administration announced a major expansion of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, aimed at preventing noncitizens from voting in U.S. elections.
  • Developed in collaboration with the Social Security Administration (SSA), the update aims to create a single, reliable source for verifying immigration status and U.S. citizenship.
  • The program now allows government agencies to verify U.S. citizenship using Social Security numbers, streamlining the voter registration audit process through bulk submission capabilities.
  • This expansion is part of a broader initiative by President Trump, including Executive Order 14248 and support for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, to protect election systems from fraud and foreign interference.
  • The initiative aligns with public support for voter verification measures and addresses high-profile cases of noncitizen voting, with states like Texas, Alabama, Virginia and Ohio taking steps to identify ineligible voters.
On Thursday, May 22, the Trump administration announced a major expansion of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, a federal immigration verification system designed to prevent noncitizens from voting in U.S. elections. The update, developed in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA), aims to create "a single, reliable source for verifying immigration status and U.S. citizenship," according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesman Matthew Tragesser. The SAVE program has been a crucial tool for federal, state and local agencies to verify the immigration or naturalization status of individuals applying for public benefits or licenses. The new initiative enhances this capability by allowing government agencies to verify U.S. citizenship using Social Security numbers, a feature that was previously unavailable to many state and local election officials who did not collect Department of Homeland Security identification numbers. (Related: House passes SAVE Act to require citizenship proof for voting in federal elections.) This partnership introduces bulk submission capability, enabling agencies to submit multiple cases at once, thereby streamlining the voter registration audit process. "For years, states have pleaded for tools to help identify and stop aliens from hijacking our elections," Tragesser stated. "Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, USCIS is moving quickly to eliminate voter fraud." The expansion of the SAVE program builds on a series of election integrity efforts initiated by President Donald Trump since his return to office. In March, he signed Executive Order 14248, "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections," which directs federal agencies to safeguard election systems from fraud, systemic error and foreign interference. Trump has also endorsed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, authored by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX). The legislation, which passed the House in April with bipartisan support, mandates that states collect proof of citizenship before registering individuals to vote in federal elections and requires the removal of noncitizens from current voter rolls. Public opinion polls indicate strong support for voter verification measures. A Gallup survey released earlier this year found that a significant majority of Americans favor requiring photo identification to vote and proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

Recent legal cases and state actions

The issue of noncitizen voting has gained national attention due to several high-profile legal cases. In April, federal prosecutors charged two Ukrainian nationals, Svitlana Demydenko and her daughter Yelyzaveta Demydenko, with casting illegal ballots in the 2024 presidential election. Akeel Abdul Jamiel, an Iraqi national, was also charged with participating in the 2020 election. States have taken independent steps to address the issue. Texas, Alabama, Virginia and Ohio collectively identified up to 17,000 ineligible voters before the 2024 general election. In August, America First Legal sued Maricopa County, Arizona, for failing to remove 35,000 registrants who allegedly did not provide proof of citizenship. The USCIS has indicated that further updates to the SAVE program are expected in the coming months as part of ongoing efforts to implement Trump's executive order. "Providing more tools within SAVE ensures state and local governments have robust and reliable access to federal databases to confirm the U.S. citizenship of individuals on their voting rolls and registering to vote," the agency stated. The unveiling of this new tool has been met with praise from officials like Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, who called it a "super tool for election officials to identify and remove ineligible voters." Hargett predicted that once fully developed, the system would be a "game changer for election officials." The expansion of the SAVE program represents a significant step by the Trump administration to enhance election integrity and prevent noncitizen voting. As the 2026 midterms approach, the effectiveness and impact of these measures will be closely watched by both proponents and critics of the initiative. Watch the video below that talks about Trump dropping other taxpayer benefits for illegal immigrants. This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Trump administration ends legal status for 500,000 migrants, orders self-deportation or arrest. Germany's left-wing government pushes for mass migration and voting rights for non-citizens, sparking outrage. Trump signs sweeping executive order mandating proof of citizenship for voter registration.

Sources include:

YourNews.com USCIS.gov/save DailyCallerNewsFoundation.org Brighteon.com
Copy