DOJ/DHS target voter rolls
DOJ and DHS are seeking access to state voter rolls to run a controversial 'citizenship check' tool—an effort that has drawn privacy concerns and could flag noncitizens with registration errors. The initiative creates a new data-driven angle for citizenship screening and may increase collateral scrutiny in removal proceedings. (thehill.com, npr.org)
At a federal court hearing in Rhode Island this week, DOJ lawyers told the bench the department intends to share voter registration data it collects from states with DHS so the records can be run through a citizenship‑verification system housed at DHS. (knpr.org) Trackers and state briefings show the Civil Rights Division has sent demands or litigation over voter lists to roughly two dozen states and, as of mid‑February 2026, had filed suits against 29 states plus Washington, D.C., seeking statewide registration data. (ncsl.org) Investigative reporting by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found the expanded SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) system has produced persistent errors after a rapid rollout, with DHS rushing data additions that left naturalized citizens and passport records out of sync. (propublica.org) State results already run through SAVE show concrete figures: Texas cross‑checked more than 18 million voter records and identified 2,724 “potential noncitizens,” with counties instructed to notify flagged voters and give 30 days to submit proof of citizenship. (visaverge.com) Government documents and reporting indicate DOJ has been in talks to transfer the collected voter files to Homeland Security Investigations for use in immigration and criminal probes, framing the data use beyond mere list‑maintenance oversight. ( ) Most states refused to provide unredacted files, but a small number such as Alaska and Texas reportedly signed confidentiality agreements and supplied full rolls to the federal effort while several federal judges have dismissed DOJ suits in states including California, Michigan and Oregon. ( ) Local election offices and reporting show concrete downstream actions: counties that received SAVE flags have mailed notices, canceled registrations for nonresponse (with immediate reinstatement on proof), and at least one state referred 33 cases for investigation after its SAVE cross‑check. ( )
