Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Use of Social Security Data for Voter Purges

A federal judge has ruled against the Trump administration's use of Social Security data in a program aimed at purging voter rolls, citing violations of federal privacy protections. US District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan emphasized that the government's actions posed a threat to citizens' voting rights. The ruling halts the expanded use of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, which had been modified to include additional data sources under Trump's directive. Voter advocacy groups argued that the program could wrongly label citizens as noncitizens, risking disenfranchisement. This decision is seen as a significant victory for voter rights and privacy protections.

Key Details: • Judge Sparkle Sooknanan issued the ruling on Monday. • The SAVE program was expanded to include Social Security data under the Trump administration. • Voter advocacy organizations challenged the legality of the data consolidation. • The ruling may impact ongoing federal efforts to verify voter rolls against citizenship data.