President Donald Trump is making it easier for states to ensure that only U.S. citizens vote in federal elections.
However, the changes that are certain to inflame Democrats, who have consistently attacked efforts to stop voter fraud.
New changes to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program will allow states to confirm immigration status using Social Security numbers.
This would replace the use of a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identifying number, which most state and local agencies do not collect.
SAVE is the federal government’s system for looking up immigration and citizenship status.
The system is administered by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
It is used by federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal agencies to verify eligibility for certain public benefits and licenses, including driver’s licenses and voter eligibility.
Under Trump, the DHS is working with USCIS and DOGE to optimize the SAVE system and ensure a “single, reliable source for verifying immigration status and U.S. citizenship nationwide.”
“For years, states have pleaded for tools to help identify and stop aliens from hijacking our elections,” said USCIS Spokesman Matthew Tragesser.
“Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, USCIS is moving quickly to