The U.S. Department of Homeland Security welcomed a Supreme Court ruling that allows the Trump administration to continue its voter citizenship verification program, the agency said in a statement.
On September 25, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that DHS's Modified Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program may be used to verify the citizenship of voters. The ruling stays a June 22, 2026 order by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that had attempted to halt the system, prompting DHS to file an emergency petition with the Supreme Court.
"This decision is a victory for election integrity," said DHS General Counsel James Percival. "It's remarkable that we had to file an emergency petition in the Supreme Court just so we can use government data to stop noncitizens from voting illegally. American elections are for Americans. The Trump Administration and the Department of Homeland Security will use every tool at our disposal to secure our elections."
The initiative follows President Donald J. Trump's Executive Order 14248, "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections," signed in March 2025. The order states that the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, consistent with applicable law, ensure state and local officials have access, without a fee, to appropriate systems for verifying the citizenship or immigration status of individuals registering to vote or already registered.