Court Denies Trump's Appeal on Voter Citizenship Database Use

A federal appeals court panel has rejected the Trump administration's attempt to lift a ban on accessing a federal immigration database for verifying citizenship on voter rolls. The decision prevents the use of the database before the November midterm elections, citing privacy and accuracy concerns.

A federal appeals court has barred the Trump administration from using a federal immigration database to verify voter citizenship, a move blocked by a lower court. The ruling, made by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, was a 2-1 decision.

Judges Sri Srinivasan and Robert Wilkins, both nominated by President Barack Obama, agreed that the use of the Homeland Security Department's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database contravenes the Social Security Act due to privacy issues. They highlighted risks of errors that could force citizens to verify their status to remain registered.

The decision comes after a Florida federal judge mandated Homeland Security to grant four Republican-led states access to the database, despite previous national-level legal restrictions. Dissenting, Judge Gregory Katsas, appointed by Trump, opposed the ruling.