Judge blocks Trump administration's overhauled database of Americans' personal information
Washington — A federal judge on Monday ruled the Trump administration acted unlawfully when it created a centralized database that contains Americans' private information, which she said has since been used by some states to incorrectly remove U.S. citizens from their voter rolls.
TL;DR
- A federal judge ruled the Trump administration's creation of a centralized database of Americans' private information was unlawful.
- The judge found the administration violated three laws by creating the database, which draws from Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security records.
- The database, an overhaul of the SAVE system, was intended to verify citizenship for voter registration but has been used to incorrectly remove citizens from voter rolls.
- The court fight highlighted conflicts between the right to privacy and the right to vote, with the judge stating the government trampled on these rights.
- The administration defended the database as a way to break down information silos, but the judge called their arguments 'absurd' and noted the dissemination of inaccurate citizenship data is defamatory.