DHS Expands Controversial Citizenship Checks with Driver Data

BREAKING: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a major expansion of its citizenship verification system, raising urgent concerns among experts and privacy advocates. In a public notice released on October 20, 2023, DHS revealed plans to incorporate state driver’s license information into its Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system, aiming to streamline the process of checking voter eligibility.

This initiative, part of a broader push by the Trump administration, seeks to pool sensitive data from various sources to identify noncitizens on voter rolls. Critics warn that this could lead to significant inaccuracies and wrongful disenfranchisement of eligible voters. In a recent statement, Rachel Orey, director of the elections project at the Bipartisan Policy Center, highlighted the potential for “far-reaching consequences for voter access and public trust” if the system incorrectly flags citizens as noncitizens.

DHS’s pilot program, first discussed with Texas officials in June, would allow election officials to conduct bulk searches of voter rolls using driver’s license numbers. This follows earlier expansions of the SAVE system that included millions of Americans’ Social Security data, which were used for the first time to scan voter rolls en masse.

Michael Morse, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, emphasized the implications of linking driver’s license databases to SAVE, calling it “the key that unlocks everything.” However, privacy concerns abound, particularly regarding the sensitive information contained in driver’s license records, which can include birthplaces, passport numbers, and even biometric data.

DHS maintains that this new data-sharing capability will enhance the accuracy of immigration status checks. Yet, advocacy groups warn that the use of outdated or inaccurate data could lead to wrongful accusations against citizens. The agency has previously faced legal challenges over potential violations of the Privacy Act due to these data-sharing practices.

In a revealing court filing, Christopher Davis, Travis County’s voter registration director, expressed concerns over the reliability of the data, noting that about 25% of voters flagged by SAVE in his county had already provided proof of citizenship during registration. The implications of this expansive data use are immense, as it could lead to eligible voters being wrongly purged from voter rolls.

Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson confirmed that her office used SAVE to check the state’s entire voter roll, revealing that approximately 2,724 voters, or 0.015%, may potentially be noncitizens. This alarming statistic has further fueled fears over the integrity of the electoral process.

As this situation develops, experts are calling for immediate public scrutiny of DHS’s actions. The agency’s recent moves have sparked a heated debate about the balance between immigration enforcement and protecting voter rights. With the potential for significant electoral repercussions, the coming weeks will be critical as various stakeholders respond to these sweeping changes.

Stay tuned for further updates as this story unfolds, as the implications for voter access and civil liberties remain at the forefront of discussions surrounding this controversial expansion.