TRENTON, N.J. – The Trump administration is escalating its push to identify ineligible voters nationwide, with the Department of Homeland Security announcing that states participating in its enhanced Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program have processed more than 68 million voter registration records and identified hundreds of thousands of registrations requiring review.
According to DHS, as of June 22, 25 states have used the enhanced SAVE system, with 10 states processing their entire statewide voter rolls. DHS said those participating states identified more than 400,000 deceased registrants and over 28,000 non-citizens who were registered to vote.
New Jersey among states under review
DHS also announced it has opened investigations into allegations of non-citizen voting and voter registration in states that have not fully utilized the SAVE system.
The department said reviews of public voter files from California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Nevada found what it described as more than 250,000 non-citizens registered to vote across those four states combined.
Federal officials said election officials in those four states have been notified and that DHS is prepared to assist with identifying and removing ineligible registrants. The agency also said its investigation is expanding to additional states.
New Jersey has not adopted the enhanced SAVE verification process statewide and has instead challenged federal efforts to obtain voter registration records. Instead, it is fighting to keep its voter rolls from the federal government in court.
State continues legal fight over voter records
New Jersey has repeatedly opposed efforts by the Trump administration and the U.S. Department of Justice to obtain unredacted voter registration files containing personal identifying information.
The state has argued that federal requests sought sensitive voter data, including driver’s license information and portions of Social Security numbers. Civil rights organizations, including the ACLU of New Jersey, have also opposed the requests, arguing they could compromise voter privacy.
Separately, New Jersey joined litigation challenging a Trump executive order related to federal election administration. Federal courts have blocked portions of that order while litigation continues.
The legal disputes focus on federal authority over election administration and voter registration records, rather than whether states should maintain accurate voter rolls.
States using SAVE report thousands of removals
DHS highlighted several states that have completed full reviews of their voter rolls using SAVE, including:
| State | Deceased Registrants Identified | Non-Citizens Identified |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 111,573 | 2,296 |
| Ohio | 59,774 | 769 |
| Georgia | 42,776 | 2,549 |
| Tennessee | 37,850 | 1,009 |
| North Carolina | 34,622 | 1,599 |
| Alabama | 33,165 | 465 |
| Louisiana | 15,231 | 419 |
| Missouri | 10,660 | 1,112 |
| Kansas | 10,197 | 449 |
| Idaho | 4,328 | 49 |
The figures represent registrations flagged through SAVE and do not necessarily indicate that every identified registration resulted in removal from voter rolls. States are responsible for verifying records and following applicable state and federal laws before making changes.
Kanitra preparing immigration cost report
The DHS announcement comes as New Jersey Assemblyman Paul Kanitra said he plans to release a report within two weeks examining the fiscal impact of undocumented immigration in the state.
Kanitra has claimed his office identified approximately 100,000 undocumented immigrants who have obtained New Jersey driver’s licenses through public records research. He has not yet released the report, supporting documentation, or methodology, so those claims cannot currently be independently verified.
Under New Jersey law enacted in 2021, residents who cannot demonstrate lawful immigration status may obtain a standard driver’s license if they meet state identification requirements. New Jersey also participates in automatic voter registration through the Motor Vehicle Commission, although only U.S. citizens are legally eligible to register to vote.
What happens next
DHS said it will continue expanding its investigations into additional states while assisting the Department of Justice in reviewing voter registration records under the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.
Meanwhile, New Jersey’s legal challenges over federal access to voter data remain active, and Kanitra’s report is expected to add another element to the state’s ongoing debate over immigration policy and election administration.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights the continuing conflict between federal efforts to verify voter eligibility using immigration databases and states that argue protecting voter privacy and maintaining control over election administration are essential. The outcome of those legal and administrative battles could affect how voter registration lists are maintained nationwide ahead of future elections.
