Full Breakdown
DHS Pushes States to “Scrub” Voter Rolls Using the Expanded SAVE System
7/20/2026, 11:39:49 AM
Core Event
On July 17, 2026, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned state election officials that failure to cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) voter-roll review could result in fines, penalties, or even prison time. Mullin cited a DHS analysis that “preliminary reviews” found up to 250,000 non-citizens registered to vote in California, New Jersey, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. He urged the states to run their voter files through the expanded Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database and said the agency would withhold federal election-security grants from non-compliant states.
Background
The SAVE system, originally created by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to verify eligibility for federal benefits, was broadened in 2025 to allow bulk queries of state voter rolls using Social Security numbers and other demographic data. The Trump administration has linked the tool to its broader “SAVE America Act,” a legislative package that would require proof of citizenship to register and photo ID to vote in federal elections. Prior to the July 17 letters, the administration had already threatened to withhold funding from states that declined to share voter-registration data with the Justice Department.
Data & Statistics
- DHS letters listed state-by-state estimates: California 190,832, New Jersey 35,152, Nevada 15,903, Pennsylvania 14,576.
- A fact sheet from USCIS (now removed) warned that SAVE “may not be able to confirm U.S. citizenship for an individual who … is not designated as a U.S. citizen in SSA records.”
- The Social Security Administration (SSA) disclosed that its citizenship data was “inaccurate for seven percent” of records classified as non-citizens in a 2006 audit, translating to roughly 3.3 million U.S. citizens potentially misidentified.
- State audits using SAVE produced far lower confirmed numbers: Utah’s 2025 review flagged 27 non-citizens after manual verification; Texas identified 2,724 potential non-citizens, many of whom were later shown to be citizens.
Why It Matters
If the DHS figures were accurate, the alleged non-citizen registrations would represent ?0.1 % of the nation’s 209 million registered voters in 2020 and ?0.6 % of the 40 million voters in the four targeted states. The administration argues that even a small share could “cancel out” legitimate votes, justifying federal oversight. Critics contend that the methodology inflates false positives, risking disenfranchisement of eligible voters and violating privacy protections under the Privacy Act and the Social Security Act.
Official Statements & Responses
- Markwayne Mullin (DHS): “We will scrub all election records, looking for illegal aliens and those who are ineligible to vote, including those that somehow voted, yet they were deceased.” He added that states refusing to cooperate would face “fines, penalties, and even… prison time.”
- President Donald Trump (prime-time address, July 16): Reiterated the DHS claim and called for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, asserting that foreign adversaries could “change voter registration and your vote.”
- Al Schmidt, Secretary of State of Pennsylvania (R): “All evidence has shown that noncitizen voting is extremely rare across the country, including in Pennsylvania.” He pledged to review any DHS data but declined to share private voter information.
- Francisco Aguilar, Secretary of State of Nevada (D): Refuted the DHS numbers as “wildly speculative at best” and said the department had provided no supporting data.
- Shirley Weber, Secretary of State of California (D): Said her office would assess the methodology but expressed “no confidence” in the DHS conclusions.
Criticism & Opposition
Election-integrity groups warned that SAVE’s reliance on outdated SSA records generates “a ton of people, maybe even a majority of people, who are absolutely eligible voters,” and that states could be breaking the law by purging them (David Becker, Center for Election Innovation & Research). The Brennan Center for Justice described the DHS methodology as “dubious” and likened the results to “garbage in, garbage out.” Legal scholars highlighted that two federal district courts issued conflicting rulings this summer: the District of Columbia court blocked the expanded SAVE program as a violation of privacy statutes, while a Florida judge ordered continued access for four states. The Justice Department’s attempts to compel voter-roll submissions have been rejected in 15 court cases, with judges emphasizing that “states run elections, not the federal government.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- DHS letters cite 118,000 matches to non-citizen records, yet public statements reference a 250,000 total.
- The fact sheet acknowledges SAVE cannot verify citizenship when SSA lacks a designation, leaving the basis for many matches unclear.
- No evidence has been provided that any of the flagged individuals actually cast ballots.
- Courts have barred the use of SAVE for voter-roll purges, but the administration continues to demand compliance, creating legal uncertainty.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We will scrub all election records, looking for illegal aliens and those who are ineligible to vote, including those that somehow voted, yet they were deceased,” — Markwayne Mullin
- “These numbers are wildly speculative at best and the Department of Homeland Security hasn’t shared anything that backs it up.” — Francisco Aguilar
- “All evidence has shown that noncitizen voting is extremely rare across the country, including in Pennsylvania.” — Al Schmidt
- “I guarantee you, that data includes a ton of people, maybe even a majority of people, who are absolutely eligible voters, and states would probably be breaking the law if they remove those voters from the rolls,” — David Becker
The clash over SAVE, voter-roll accuracy, and federal authority is set to shape the 2026 midterm elections, with courts, states, and election-security experts watching closely.
