Former President Donald Trump is urging the Supreme Court to restore access to a federal database used to verify immigration status, a system his administration argues is crucial for election security just weeks before the midterm elections. The appeal to the high court comes after lower federal courts blocked the Trump administration's use of the database, known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system.
Solicitor General John Sauer, representing Trump, asked the Supreme Court to halt a June ruling by U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan that initially blocked access to the SAVE database. Sauer characterized the lower court's decision as "indefensible" and a threat to the integrity of the upcoming midterm elections, which are less than 60 days away. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld Sooknanan's ruling earlier this month in a 2-1 decision, prompting the emergency petition to the Supreme Court.
Critics of the administration's move argue that this is another attempt by Trump to assert federal control over the election process, which is traditionally managed at the state level, and to potentially disenfranchise voters. Advocacy groups had sued to block the use of the SAVE database, contending that it is error-prone and outdated. They argued that the system has led to the erroneous identification and removal of noncitizens from voter rolls, and that it infringes on the privacy rights of American citizens.
Judge Sooknanan's ruling in June stated that the system "trampled on the privacy rights of American citizens" and threatened to disenfranchise eligible voters. The previous Supreme Court appeal follows Trump's continued assertions of concerns about voter fraud and election security, despite what is described as scant evidence of widespread issues.
Skye Perryman, president and CEO of the advocacy group Democracy Forward, criticized the administration's actions. "Court after court has rejected the Trump-Vance administration's effort to revive an unlawful system that puts Americans' privacy and fundamental freedom to vote at risk," Perryman said in a statement. "Now, after failing to get its way in the lower courts, the administration is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene, despite the law being clear that [the Department of Homeland Security's] actions cannot continue."
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who handles emergency appeals from the D.C. Circuit, has given the parties one week to file further motions regarding the case.