DOJ asks Supreme Court to unblock expanded SAVE citizenship checks for voter rolls
NEW · Wed. noon EDT
Solicitor General D. John Sauer on Tuesday asked the justices to stay U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan’s June order vacating DHS’s modified Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system after a divided D.C. Circuit refused a stay. The overhaul added Social Security number lookups and bulk searches so states can seek citizenship confirmation for registered voters. Chief Justice John Roberts directed challengers to respond by 4 p.m. EDT Sept. 15 in DHS v. League of Women Voters (26A308). Older, individualized SAVE queries remain available while the expanded system stays blocked.
The United States Supreme Court Building in Washington. File photograph; not from Tuesday’s filing.
Kjetil Ree / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Center-left view
Democracy Docket, SCOTUSblog, and CBS News emphasize Judge Sooknanan’s finding that the modified SAVE system violated privacy and Social Security statutes, D.C. Circuit’s refusal to revive bulk citizenship checks, and challengers’ warnings that outdated Social Security flags can put eligible — including naturalized — voters at risk of wrongful purges.
Sources: Democracy Docket · SCOTUSblog · CBS News
Center-right view
Washington Examiner, Law Commentary, and the Justice Department’s stay papers stress Sauer’s claim that Sooknanan’s order is “indefensible,” that SAVE only notifies states whether citizenship can be confirmed rather than removing voters itself, and that blocking Social Security–linked bulk checks before the midterms undercuts election integrity.
Sources: Washington Examiner · Law Commentary · DOJ stay application (PDF)