Obama Judges Refuse to Revive Trump’s SAVE Citizenship-Verification System Ahead of Midterms — Trump-Appointed Judge Katsas Dissents

Two Obama-appointed judges on the D.C. Circuit denied the Trump administration’s request to temporarily restore the expanded Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system, which aids states in verifying voter eligibility. Trump-appointed Judge Gregory Katsas dissented, arguing that the system is lawful and essential for maintaining clean voter rolls. The ruling means the government cannot use the expanded features of SAVE while it appeals a lower court’s decision that shut down the system nationwide.

• Two Obama-appointed judges on the D.C. Circuit rejected the government’s request to stay a lower court’s ruling that halted the expanded SAVE system.
• The SAVE system is used by states to check the citizenship of potential voters.
• Trump-appointed Judge Gregory Katsas dissented, arguing the modified SAVE system is legal and necessary.
• Katsas stated that the government is likely to succeed in showing that modified SAVE does not violate the Social Security Act.
• The majority cited procedural issues and a lack of a strong showing of success on the merits for their decision.
• The ruling leaves the SAVE system in a state of uncertainty as legal battles continue.
• The article notes that 27 states use SAVE for voter verification and that many agencies use the system for various purposes.