WASHINGTON – A Trump-Vance administration attempt to unlawfully meddle in elections was struck down today, as a federal judge ordered the administration to end and disentangle a massive government database that consolidates millions of Americans’ sensitive and legally protected personal information, leaving them vulnerable to baseless investigations and being unlawfully purged from voter rolls.
The ruling comes in League of Women Voters v. US Department of Homeland Security, a case brought by the League of Women Voters, League of Women Voters of Virginia, League of Women Voters of Louisiana, League of Women Voters of Texas, and Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). The coalition is represented in the matter by Democracy Forward Foundation, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and Fair Elections Center.
“All in all, the federal government has knowingly trampled on the privacy rights of American citizens in a manner that threatens the sacred right to vote,” reads today’s decision. “This Court cannot stand idly by while that happens.”
“Today’s decision is a resounding victory for voters,” said Marcia Johnson, chief of activation and justice for the League of Women Voters. “Efforts to create a federal voter database to facilitate voter purges threaten the fundamental right at the heart of our democracy. The League of Women Voters will continue advocating for an electoral system where every eligible voter can participate with confidence and where elections remain fair, accurate, and accessible.”
“Today’s ruling protects Virginia voters from being caught up in an unlawful and error-prone system that could lead to wrongful voter removals and baseless investigations,” said Joan Porte, president of the League of Women Voters of Virginia. “No one should have to worry that inaccurate records or bureaucratic mistakes could jeopardize their registration. We are grateful that the court recognized the serious dangers posed by this scheme and acted to stop it.”
“This decision is an important check on the misuse of personal information by the federal government,” said M. Christian Green, president of the League of Women Voters of Louisiana. “Americans should not have to wonder whether their sensitive data will be repurposed in ways that could affect their participation in civic life. The court’s ruling reinforces the principle that government agencies must operate within the law and respect the privacy and security of all voters.”
“With this ruling, the court has made clear that federal agencies cannot sidestep legal safeguards to create systems that put Americans’ voting rights at risk,” said Tae Mi Lee, president of the League of Women Voters of Texas. “Texans have seen how flawed data can lead to confusion, fear, and wrongful challenges against eligible voters. We welcome the court’s decision and remain committed to ensuring that every eligible voter can make their voice heard without interference.”
"Today's decision is a victory for us all. By halting the illegal consolidation of sensitive personal data across federal agencies, the court has safeguarded not only our privacy rights but also the bedrock of our democracy: the right to vote,” said EPIC Deputy Director and Director of Enforcement John Davisson. “The ruling underscores that government agencies must follow the law, defend privacy, and remain accountable to the public they serve."
The case was filed in response to efforts by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) to unlawfully transform the DHS’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system into a national citizenship database, pooling SSA data known to be unreliable, and now being used by some states to erroneously purge voter rolls and open criminal investigations. Today’s ruling will prevent voters from being unlawfully purged and targeted by this broken and illegal system.
“The American people should be able to trust their government with sensitive information—not have to worry that it will collect it and abuse access to it to threaten their sacred right to vote, as the Trump administration attempted to do,” said CREW President Donald K. Sherman. “Free and fair elections are the bedrock of our democracy, and we are grateful that the court protected this foundational right.”
“Today’s decision is a resounding victory for democratic accountability, the rule of law, and voters nationwide,” said Fair Elections Center Litigation Director Jon Sherman. “The administration made dramatic changes to the SAVE system, willfully disregarding the procedures Congress has mandated, the opposition of citizens and public interest groups, and the impact on naturalized and derived citizens on the voter rolls. The Court’s ruling rightly shuts down this lawless repurposing of Americans’ sensitive data.”
“As the Trump-Vance administration continues its attack on the right to vote, this is an important victory for the American people and our democracy,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “The data at the heart of this lawsuit was unlawfully consolidated in violation of privacy laws intended to protect sensitive personal information. We are honored to work alongside the plaintiffs and co-counsel in this case, and are grateful that the court has acted to protect people and our elections every day and especially during our nation's 250th anniversary year.”
The administration’s unlawful data consolidation has been disenfranchising eligible voters and subjecting Americans to unwarranted investigations, and creates unprecedented security risks by placing sensitive, personal information in a single target-rich system. Today’s order ends the administration’s efforts to operate these systems and protects the privacy and voting rights of millions of Americans.
The team at Democracy Forward in this case includes Aman George, Mark Samburg, Hanna Hickman, Sophie Gelber, and Robin Thurston.
###