Latest news with #SystematicAlienVerificationforEntitlements
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Indiana to check voter rolls for noncitizens with revamped federal system
Indiana will soon be scanning voter rolls for noncitizens after receiving access to a revamped federal system, Secretary of State Diego Morales announced on July 7. The move comes after Morales and Attorney General Todd Rokita asked U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for help in verifying the citizenship of 600,000 voters less than a month before the 2024 general election. Voting rights advocates denounced the announcement at the time, fearing it would disenfranchise eligible voters who don't have easy access to the documents required to prove citizenship. The agency, operating under President Joe Biden's administration at the time, never granted the request. The information now available to Indiana is called the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, data system, which was overhauled with help from the Department of Government Efficiency beginning in April to eliminate fees and allow for easier mass checks. 'As someone who knows firsthand what it means to earn U.S. citizenship, I deeply value the rights and responsibilities that come with citizenship — especially the right to vote. This agreement is another step in safeguarding the rights of every eligible Hoosier voter and reflects our commitment to protecting the integrity of our elections,' said Morales, who is a naturalized citizen from Guatemala, in a news release. Voters who are flagged by the system and cannot have their citizenship verified by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles will be notified via mail and given 30 days to provide proof of citizenship, according to House Enrolled Act 1264. Some citizens may receive such notification, as those who registered to vote before 2005 did not have to provide their Social Security number or state-issued ID. The 2024 law defines proof of citizenship as a birth certificate, passport, naturalization document or naturalization number. Legible photocopies are also acceptable. If the individual is unable to provide documentation, they can appeal to the county election board. The board's decision will be forwarded to the county voter registration office, which will ensure records reflect the verdict. It's unclear how the revamped data system and its partnerships with states will impact federal immigration enforcement efforts. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services did not respond to IndyStar's request for comment by publication, including whether it will use the new collaboration to detain, deport or investigate undocumented immigrants. The lack of information has generated some concern, including from a state election official who told National Public Radio (NPR) they worried the information would be used to aid President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign. When asked if the efforts would be used to facilitate immigration enforcement or criminal prosecution, a spokesperson for the Indiana Secretary of State's office said local election officials should forward evidence of noncitizen voting to law enforcement. Julia Vaughn of Common Cause Indiana, an advocacy group that focuses on voting rights and government transparency, said SAVE was never intended for verifying voter eligibility; instead, it's historically been used to determine whether someone can receive government benefits by checking their immigration status. Data contained within SAVE is sometimes out-of-date and inaccurate, she said, presenting a real possibility that citizens will be mistaken as noncitizens. She pointed to a similar program from Kansas called Crosscheck, which compares voter registration data with lists from participating states and looks for matches that prove someone is registered twice. But a 2017 study found 99.5% of voters with name and date of birth matches within the Crosscheck system were in fact two separate individuals, creating the risk that someone could be falsely identified as an ineligible voter. The system led to a class action lawsuit that alleged the program exposed sensitive personal information of voters suspected to be ineligible. One of the plaintiffs, for example, had parts of his Social Security number shared over unencrypted emails with the state of Florida because a man who lived there shared the same name as the plaintiff. While the Indiana process allows potentially misidentified voters to prove their citizenship, merely missing a piece of mail could cost someone to lose their opportunity to vote. Vaughn said she fears people who are cleared from the voter rolls may only find out when they go to the polls. The risk is not worth it to Vaughn, who called the concept of noncitizen voters a 'popular misperception.' There is little evidence to support widespread voting by noncitizens. An audit in Georgia found a little more than 1,600 potential noncitizens attempted to register to vote from 1997 to Feb. 2022, but none were successful. 'It's a continuation of misguided public policy based on myths,' Vaughn said, 'and really doesn't address the very real election issues that we have here in Indiana, which is evidenced by our very low voter turnout.' Contact Marissa Meador at mmeador@ or find her on X at @marissa_meador. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana to remove noncitizens from voter rolls by using federal data
Indianapolis Star
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana to check voter rolls for noncitizens with revamped federal system
Indiana will soon be scanning voter rolls for noncitizens after receiving access to a revamped federal system, Secretary of State Diego Morales announced on July 7. The move comes after Morales and Attorney General Todd Rokita asked U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for help in verifying the citizenship of 600,000 voters less than a month before the 2024 general election. Voting rights advocates denounced the announcement at the time, fearing it would disenfranchise eligible voters who don't have easy access to the documents required to prove citizenship. The agency, operating under President Joe Biden's administration at the time, never granted the request. The information now available to Indiana is called the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, data system, which was overhauled with help from the Department of Government Efficiency beginning in April to eliminate fees and allow for easier mass checks. 'As someone who knows firsthand what it means to earn U.S. citizenship, I deeply value the rights and responsibilities that come with citizenship — especially the right to vote. This agreement is another step in safeguarding the rights of every eligible Hoosier voter and reflects our commitment to protecting the integrity of our elections,' said Morales, who is a naturalized citizen from Guatemala, in a news release. Voters who are flagged by the system and cannot have their citizenship verified by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles will be notified via mail and given 30 days to provide proof of citizenship, according to House Enrolled Act 1264. Some citizens may receive such notification, as those who registered to vote before 2005 did not have to provide their Social Security number or state-issued ID. The 2024 law defines proof of citizenship as a birth certificate, passport, naturalization document or naturalization number. Legible photocopies are also acceptable. If the individual is unable to provide documentation, they can appeal to the county election board. The board's decision will be forwarded to the county voter registration office, which will ensure records reflect the verdict. It's unclear how the revamped data system and its partnerships with states will impact federal immigration enforcement efforts. Neither the Indiana Secretary of State's office nor the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services responded to IndyStar's request for comment by publication, including whether it will use the new collaboration to detain, deport or investigate undocumented immigrants. The lack of information has generated some concern, including from a state election official who told National Public Radio (NPR) they worried the information would be used to aid President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign. This story may be updated.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Louisiana lawmakers vote to toughen immigration enforcement
BATON ROUGE, La. (LSU Manship School News Service) — Lawmakers passed two bills this week aimed at expanding the state's role in immigration enforcement, joining states like Texas and Florida in helping the Trump administration crack down on undocumented immigrants. One bill would require agencies to track the legal status of people using public services, and the other would criminalize interference with federal immigration operations. The Legislature last year empowered local and state law-enforcement to arrest people on suspicion that they were undocumented immigrants. Gov. Jeff Landry signed that bill into law, and the two bills passed this week will now go to him for his signature. The latest legislation comes amid growing national tensions over immigration policy. Protests broke out in Los Angeles this week in response to enforcement actions, and Trump hinted at invoking the Insurrection Act, a set of laws that might let the president deploy the military domestically. One of the new bills, Senate Bill 100, by Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, would mandate that state departments–including Health, Education, Motor Vehicles and others–disclose whether individuals receiving services are 'illegal aliens' or 'unaccompanied alien children.' Services covered under the bill range from healthcare and education to tax benefits and emergency assistance. Agencies would have to report how many people in those categories they serve and the cost of those services. The reports would be submitted annually to the governor, the attorney general and the Legislature and published online. The bill also would require agencies to verify legal status, either through immigration documents or by using federal tools like the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements system. Agencies that do not comply risk funding loss. Senate Bill 15 by Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, would prohibit private individuals and public officials from obstructing federal immigration enforcement or civil immigration proceedings. That would include refusing to cooperate with requests from agencies like the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, or failing to honor written detainer requests when releasing someone suspected of being in the country illegally. The bill updates the state's obstruction and malfeasance laws to cover immigration-related violations. Penalties range from six months in jail and a $1,000 fine to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. More serious violations involving public officials could lead to felony charges and prison sentences of up to 10 years. The law would take effect Aug. 1. If SB15 is enacted, Louisiana would be the first state to institute state criminal penalties for interfering with immigration enforcement efforts. Under current law, these issues are handled as a civil matter. Both measures reflect Gov. Jeff Landry's broader agenda to position Louisiana as a more active player in immigration enforcement, which echoes moves in the other Republican-led states. Advocates against the legislation highlighted the negative impact the bills would have on immigrant families in the state. Tia Fields, policy manager at the Baton Rouge-based Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants, told the Louisiana Illuminator that the bills convey a 'chilling message' and portray immigrant families as expendable. Proposal to ban DEI college courses, state policy dies in Louisiana Legislature McKinley High School moves to temporary location as campus undergoes renovation Students urged to seek aid now as FAFSA deadline nears Kevin Durant's former townhome up for sale, listing price $35 Bonnaroo co-founder dies days before 2025 festival Man gored by bison at Yellowstone National Park, second incident this year Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas Uses SAVE Data To Catch Noncitizen Voters
(Texas Scorecard) – After gaining access to a federal immigration and citizenship database, state officials have identified potential noncitizens who voted in Texas elections. Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced Thursday that her office has referred 33 potential noncitizens who voted in the November 2024 General Election to the state attorney general's office for investigation. Nelson said the referrals come within weeks of Texas gaining access to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' SAVE database. 'Gaining access to this database has been a game-changer,' said Nelson. 'Not only have we been able to identify individuals who should not have voted in the last election, we have also been able to confirm naturalization of dozens more.' SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) is an online service for government agencies to verify the immigration status and naturalized/acquired U.S. citizenship of applicants seeking benefits or licenses. Nelson said Texas was among the first states to log in after President Donald Trump issued an election integrity executive order in March that directed the Department of Homeland Security to provide free access to the SAVE database to all states. She added that Texas also recently joined a pilot program working with DHS, USCIS, and DOGE to improve the database's functionality. 'We are in the early stages of this pilot program, but we already see promising results. This may be the most current and accurate data set there is when it comes to citizenship verification,' said Nelson. She noted that the Secretary of State is required to report potential criminal violations to the Office of the Attorney General, which has the authority to investigate such cases under Texas election law.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Kim Reynolds signs bills on election recounts, voter citizenship verification
Gov. Kim Reynolds was joined by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, legislators and county auditors in her office June 2, 2025 as she signed into law two bills from the 2025 legislative session related to Iowa elections. (Photo courtesy the Iowa Secretary of State's office) Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed two bills related to Iowa's election laws Monday, making changes to the state's citizenship verification for voting and election recount processes. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, alongside several county auditors and some of the lawmakers who worked on the bills during the 2025 legislative session, joined Reynolds at the signing. Pate thanked Reynolds and lawmakers for moving the two measures forward in a news release Monday, saying the bills are important steps in 'strengthening and maintaining Iowa's election integrity.' 'These new laws add additional layers of integrity to our robust election procedures, supporting our efforts to balance election integrity and voter participation,' Pate said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX House File 954, signed Monday, was the bill Pate proposed to better allow his office to check the citizenship status and other eligibility requirements of those on Iowa's voter rolls. The bill gives the Secretary of State's office the ability to contract with federal and state agencies, and with private entities, for voter roll verification and maintenance, in addition to setting up a process for setting a voter's registration status as 'unconfirmed' when the state or county officials have received information from a 'reliable source' that the person is not qualified to vote. The measure came up in the wake of Pate's guidance to county auditors shortly before the 2024 general election in November that directed the local elections officials to challenge the ballots of 2,176 voters at the polls. Pate had flagged these individuals as 'potential noncitizens' because they had, within the past 12 years, reported to the Iowa Department of Transportation or another state entity that they were noncitizens, and later registered to vote. A majority of these individuals were naturalized citizens who had the ability to vote, but Pate said the instruction was necessary because his office had been denied access by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database to verify these people's citizenship status. USCIS later granted the Iowa office access to the database — when Pate said his office confirmed 277 of the 2,176 'potential noncitizen' voters did not have U.S. citizenship. The secretary of state said the new law will prevent similar situations from arising in the future where individuals have their votes contested at the ballot box. The bill gives tools to election officials for voter eligibility verification before Election Day, but also allows registered voters to be challenged over their citizenship status at the polls. A challenged voter would have to present precinct election officials with evidence they are qualified to vote to cast a regular ballot. If the challenge is not withdrawn, they would cast a provisional ballot. The second measure, House File 928, makes changes to Iowa's system for election recounts, including setting new limits on who can request recounts. For statewide and federal races, the election results would have to have a 0.15% difference in votes between candidates for a candidate to request a recount. For state legislative and local races, a difference of 1% or 50 votes would be required. This would stop recounts in future elections similar to those requested in recent elections, like the 2024 election recount for the race between U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Christina Bohannan, that was within 0.2%. The measure would also make changes to election recount boards. Under the previous system, each candidate in a recount designates one person to serve on the board, alongside a third person agreed upon by both candidates. The new law has county auditors lead election recount boards with their staff and hired election workers, adding the requirement that boards must have an equal numbers of workers from each political party. Candidates can choose up to five people to observe the recount process in each county. While some Democrats said this new system could lead to Iowans questioning election integrity because of conflicts of interest with county auditors, Republican supporters argued the change will lead to more uniform and fair election recounts. Rep. Austin Harris, R-Moulton, who led the bill in the House, said in a news release the recount bill was 'one of the most important pieces of legislation we've passed this year.' 'We have seen in years past where the old system was used, abused, and manipulated by campaigns to try to 'fix the outcome' for their preferred candidate,' Harris said in a statement. 'Now we have a system that brings uniformity, consistency, and most importantly, trust to that system.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
