Supreme Court Sides With Trump on Non-Citizen Voter Database in 6-3 Ruling

A divided Supreme Court hands the Trump administration a win on voter roll verification just weeks before the midterms — while a separate case set to open the Court's new term could determine if energy companies face climate liability across state lines. The ruling: In a 6-3 decision issued Friday, the Supreme Court allowed DHS to share its SAVE database (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) — including Social Security-linked data — with state and local election officials who want to cross-check voter rolls for non-citizens. Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor dissented, arguing federal law places strict limits on sharing Social Security information and that Congress never intended to repeal those protections. What it does — and doesn't — do: Access to the database is voluntary for states, not mandatory. Landmark Legal Foundation's Michael O'Neill says this falls short of the stalled Save America Act, which would have required states to actively remove non-citizens from voter rolls. He points to New Jersey's admitted 6,000 non-citizen voter roll entries as evidence of a real, not hypothetical, problem. Why it happened fast: The case moved through the courts on an accelerated timeline given its proximity to the November election, with the League of Women Voters and other groups arguing the Privacy Act barred this kind of data sharing. What's next at the Court: The new Supreme Court term starts next week with Suncor Energy, a case asking whether fossil-fuel power plants can be held liable in one state for emissions-related damages claimed by another. O'Neill calls it highly significant, noting Justice Alito has recused himself, leaving only eight justices to decide it. Separately, the Court will hear a major gun and magazine ban challenge in December. Should states be required — not just permitted — to verify voter rolls against federal databases? Leave your thoughts in the comments. #SupremeCourt #ElectionIntegrity #VoterRolls #CenterSquare #TheStates