Story perspectives

Judge Blocks SAVE Voter Program, Funding at Risk, Crossings Plummet

6/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

Judge Sparkle Sooknanan issued an injunction halting the Trump administration’s SAVE voter-verification program and the Social Security–citizenship database used for voter-roll purges.
Department of Homeland Security warned the order could jeopardize grant conditions tying homeland-security funding to state use of SAVE.
Border Patrol in the Swanton Sector reported illegal crossings fell from nearly 3,000 in May 2024 to just over 100 in May 2026 after Trump ended catch-and-release policies.

History

Historical Context

In 1986 Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act, directing INS to build the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) for federal benefit checks. The 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, signed by President Bill Clinton, expanded enforcement and linked SAVE data to voter-registration verification. Trump’s 2025 executive order merging SAVE with Social Security records revived that model, prompting today’s injunction.

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Story summary

Judge Sparkle Sooknanan issued an injunction halting the Trump administration’s SAVE voter-verification program and the Social Security–citizenship database used for voter-roll purges.
Department of Homeland Security warned the order could jeopardize grant conditions tying homeland-security funding to state use of SAVE.
Border Patrol in the Swanton Sector reported illegal crossings fell from nearly 3,000 in May 2024 to just over 100 in May 2026 after Trump ended catch-and-release policies.

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