Overview
- A three‑judge D.C. Circuit panel denied the Department of Homeland Security’s request on Saturday to restore the overhauled SAVE system, leaving the tool offline nationally for now.
- The court said DHS failed to show the modified SAVE could operate without violating laws that protect Social Security information and stressed the government raised key arguments too late.
- A June D.C. district court had already found the overhaul unlawful because the system could disclose sensitive data and produce inaccurate citizenship matches that have led to voters being wrongly challenged.
- A separate Florida judge ordered four states — Florida, Ohio, Iowa and Indiana — back into the system, creating uneven real‑world access while appeals continue and further review is possible.
- The dispute grew out of a March 2025 executive order to expand federal election policing and the outcome will affect how far agencies may repurpose administrative databases to screen or challenge voter rolls.