Noncitizens casting ballots? Not on President Trump’s watch.
The Daily Caller reported that the Trump administration, under USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, has rolled out aggressive measures to block unauthorized voting, leaning on an executive order and a beefed-up federal database to keep elections clean.
It’s a direct shot at progressive claims that voter fraud is a myth, tackling a problem many conservatives see as a threat to democratic integrity.
In March, President Trump signed Executive Order 14248, titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” to tighten citizenship checks and stop foreign interference.
The order mandates that the Department of Homeland Security provide the SAVE database free to every state. It’s a no-nonsense move to ensure only citizens vote, countering the left’s push for looser election rules.
The SAVE database, managed by USCIS, lets state officials verify an applicant’s immigration or naturalization status. “We’re already more secure in elections than we were six months ago,” Edlow told the Daily Caller News Foundation. Sounds promising, but conservatives know promises don’t always mean results—time will tell if this holds up.
Joseph Edlow, confirmed as USCIS director in July, brings experience from his prior roles as deputy director for policy and chief counsel.
With 20,000 employees under his command, USCIS is a powerhouse tasked with overseeing the nation’s immigration system. His leadership is pivotal in making these reforms stick, especially when skeptics on the left downplay the need.
In May, USCIS teamed up with the Social Security Administration to upgrade the SAVE database. Now, states can verify citizenship using Social Security numbers instead of DHS identifiers, streamlining the process. It’s a practical fix, but one wonders why it took so long to connect these dots.
The upgraded system allows state agencies to batch-process multiple verification requests at once. “[The SAVE] system… has been used for this purpose now, and we’ve modernized it to allow secretaries of state… to batch audit large groups,” Edlow explained. This efficiency is a win for conservatives who demand accountability in voter rolls.
Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson praised the system in June, saying, “Gaining access to this database has been a game-changer.”
Her office identified 33 potential noncitizens who voted in Texas elections, proving the system’s worth. Yet, the left might argue 33 cases don’t justify the effort—conservatives know even one illegal vote is too many.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton reported over 100 suspected noncitizens casting more than 200 ballots in the 2020 and 2022 elections. That’s not a rounding error; it’s a red flag for election integrity. The numbers fuel conservative arguments that voter fraud isn’t just a conspiracy theory.
In April, federal prosecutors charged two Ukrainian nationals for illegally voting in U.S. elections. A month later, a 45-year-old Iraqi national faced similar charges for the 2020 election. These cases highlight why conservatives push for stricter verification, even as progressives claim such incidents are rare.
A Colombian migrant, living under a stolen identity for decades, was caught voting in elections and allegedly swiped $400,000 in benefits.
It’s a jaw-dropping abuse of the system that fuels conservative distrust of lax oversight. The left’s silence on these cases speaks volumes.
In October, a Chinese national in Michigan was charged after trying to retrieve a ballot he’d cast, only to flee the country. It’s a bold example of why conservatives want tighter controls, not the open-door policies some Democrats seem to favor. Every illegal vote undermines the voice of lawful citizens.
In June, federal prosecutors sued Orange County, California, for allegedly failing to prove it’s removing noncitizens from voter rolls.
The lawsuit signals the administration’s willingness to play hardball with jurisdictions dragging their feet. Conservatives cheer this, but the left might cry “overreach.”
In May, the Trump administration took North Carolina to court, accusing its Board of Elections of neglecting federal voter list maintenance laws. It’s a pattern: states ignoring rules, and conservatives demanding accountability. The progressive push for “access” over security keeps clashing with these efforts.
Edlow’s team is already eyeing further improvements, like verifying citizenship with just the last four digits of a Social Security number. “The worst SAVE is ever going to be is the way that you see it today,” he said, promising constant upgrades. For conservatives, it’s a refreshing commitment to fixing a broken system, even if the left calls it unnecessary.
