Summary
Democratic senators have raised concerns about the Trump administration's expanded use of a program to check immigration status, which they say might violate voters' privacy. They argue that the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program is being used without proper oversight, potentially affecting millions of voter records. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims the program is intended to enhance security and enforce immigration laws.
Key Facts
- Democratic Senators Alex Padilla and Gary Peters are concerned about voters' privacy due to the SAVE program's expansion.
- The Senators have joined a lawsuit claiming illegal oversight of millions of voter records through the SAVE program.
- The SAVE program is used to verify immigration status, and several states have checked millions of voter files with it.
- The DHS argues that the SAVE program helps remove illegal immigrants and improve national security.
- Critics say the program may risk wrongly identifying eligible voters as ineligible or exposing voter privacy.
- Legal concerns revolve around the creation of a large database containing Americans' private data without adequate congressional oversight.
- The lawsuit contends the expansion allows unlawful investigations and potential errors in voter rolls.
- DHS has been unresponsive to repeated inquiries from the senators about the expansion details of the SAVE program.
