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Friday, Sep 25, 2026

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NEWSupreme Court Allows Voter Citizenship Checks Using Social Security Data

The Trump administration won a legal battle to expand its immigration database for voter verification in a decision handed down by the US Supreme Court. The ruling enables states to use Social Security records to confirm whether voters are citizens, overturning a lower court's previous restriction. In its opinion, the Court found that a 1996 federal law likely gives the Department of Homeland Security authority to obtain citizenship data from other government agencies despite existing privacy protections.

The program was revived ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, as the administration maintains the tool is necessary to combat voting by noncitizens. Critics of the expansion argue that the a-priori screening could disenfranchise eligible voters. Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson dissented from the majority decision.

Image via @scotus_wire on X
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