Judge strikes down Trump administration database of Social Security numbers, citizenship status
The ruling says federal agencies violated privacy law by pooling Social Security and citizenship data into a centralized tool states used to question voter eligibility.
- On Monday, June 22, 2026, District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan blocked Trump from building a database of Americans' sensitive information, granting an injunction to halt the bulk data-pooling system.
- Previously designed to verify immigration status, the Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements system was radically expanded into an interagency "data lake" linking Social Security Administration records.
- Judge Sooknanan ruled Trump implemented these changes "in secret," violating the Administrative Procedure Act and the Privacy Act by failing to provide public notice or assess privacy risks.
- This ruling removes a key mechanism for voter roll maintenance ahead of the November 3, 2026, midterm elections, where control of the House and Senate is at stake.
- Plaintiffs including the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the League of Women Voters celebrated, with EPIC Deputy Director and Director of Enforcement John Davisson saying the decision "safeguarded not only our privacy rights but also the bedrock of our democracy: the right to vote.
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84 Articles
Judge deals blow to Trump push for federal role in elections ahead of midterms
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from using the revamped SAVE immigration database to check state voter rolls. The ruling says the overhaul threatens voter privacy and could wrongly disenfranchise eligible citizens.
Judge Shuts Down Trump's Voter Database Plan
A federal judge has shut down a Trump administration plan to build a national voter database that would have pulled in Americans' Social Security numbers and citizenship information. In a 75-page ruling, US District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan said federal officials "haphazardly combined and repurposed" sensitive data from multiple agencies to...
JUST IN: Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Voter Database Over Privacy Concerns
A recent ruling by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., has cast a shadow over efforts to tighten voter eligibility verification. The decision blocks the Trump administration’s plan to utilize a modified database that aimed to link Social Security numbers with citizenship status. This move was intended to help states sort through their voter rolls and identify non-citizens. However, it also raises significant issues about government overreach, p…
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