SAVE America Act — Legislative Infrastructure Analysis¶
Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Date: February 13, 2026
Type: Infrastructure Intelligence — Legislative Mechanisms
Confidence: HIGH
Status: ACTIVE — Passed House, pending Senate
Executive Summary¶
On February 10, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the SAVE America Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, S.1383) by a vote of 218-213, with all Republicans voting yes and all but one Democrat (Rep. Henry Cuellar, TX) voting no.
This report documents the SAVE Act not as a political position but as infrastructure — the legislative machinery that connects DHS immigration enforcement databases directly to the voter registration system. The same Department of Homeland Security that operates ICE, manages detention facilities where people in our dossiers died, and conducts the raids we document would now control voter eligibility verification for every American.
This is an infrastructure analysis, not political commentary. We document mechanisms.
What the Bill Does¶
Core Provisions¶
| Provision | Mechanism | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Citizenship proof to register | Requires documentary proof (passport, birth certificate + photo ID, naturalization papers) | Brennan Center: 21.3 million Americans lack ready access to these documents |
| Photo ID to vote | Narrower than every existing state law except Ohio | Prohibits student IDs; tribal IDs only with expiration dates (many lack them) |
| Monthly voter roll purges | Mandates 30-day purge cycles using DHS databases | Eliminates the 90-day "quiet period" protecting voters before elections |
| DHS database integration | Every state must submit voter rolls to DHS for cross-referencing via SAVE system | Same agency running ICE/CBP would control voter eligibility verification |
| End of mail/online registration | In-person citizenship document presentation required | Eliminates registration drives, mail registration, online registration |
| Criminal penalties for officials | Election workers face up to 5 years in prison for registration errors | Even registering an eligible citizen without correct paperwork is punishable |
The DHS Connection¶
The bill mandates that state voter rolls be checked against the Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database — a system originally designed for immigration purposes.
Critical concerns:
- No data protections: The bill places no restrictions on what the federal government can do with voter data once DHS receives it
- No safeguards against misuse: No protections against using the data to force additional purges or challenge election results
- Error-prone system: The Brennan Center describes the DHS database as "error-ridden"
- Same agency, dual power: DHS would simultaneously control immigration enforcement and voter eligibility — the same department whose agents killed people documented in our dossiers
Who Is Affected¶
The Brennan Center for Justice estimates:
- 21.3 million Americans (9% of voting-age citizens) lack ready access to proof of citizenship documents
- ~50% of Americans don't have a passport
- Millions of women whose married names don't match their birth certificates
- Young voters and voters of color disproportionately impacted
- The Center for American Progress estimates up to 100 million Americans could face new barriers
Infrastructure Connection¶
Why This Belongs in an Immigration Intelligence Report¶
The SAVE Act is not a standalone election bill. It is infrastructure that connects the deportation apparatus to the democratic process:
- DHS as gatekeeper: The same department running ICE raids, detention facilities, and deportation flights would determine who can vote
- Data weaponization: State voter rolls (containing addresses, birth dates, partial SSNs) would flow to DHS — the agency conducting workplace raids and home arrests
- Chilling effect: Immigrant communities — including naturalized citizens and mixed-status families — would face new reasons to avoid civic participation
- Historical pattern: This follows the pattern documented in our historical context report — each escalation combines enforcement with legal exclusion
The State Voter Data Demand¶
The Trump administration has separately demanded complete voter registration lists from nearly every state and the District of Columbia. At least 11 states have either turned over voter rolls or intend to. This data includes voters' addresses, birth dates, and partial Social Security numbers — the same information useful for immigration enforcement operations.
Fact Check: Noncitizen Voting¶
The stated justification — preventing noncitizen voting — does not withstand scrutiny:
| Claim | Evidence |
|---|---|
| "Millions of illegals voting" | Heritage Foundation database: fewer than 1,500 proven cases since 2000, out of billions of votes cast |
| "No verification exists" | It has been a federal crime for noncitizens to vote since 1924; punishable by fines, imprisonment, and deportation |
| "States aren't checking" | Republican election officials' own audits: Utah found 1 of 2 million registrations; Georgia found 24 of 8.2 million |
As House Speaker Mike Johnson stated: "They feel they've got to allow illegals to participate" — a claim unsupported by available evidence from either Democratic or Republican election officials.
Current Status¶
- House: Passed 218-213 (February 10, 2026)
- Senate: Requires 60 votes to overcome filibuster
- Prospects: 49 Republican senators support; Sen. Lisa Murkowski opposes
- Assessment: Unlikely to pass Senate in current form, but serves as political messaging for 2026 midterms and establishes framework for future legislative attempts
Brennan Center president Michael Waldman: "The House has just passed one of the worst pieces of voting legislation in American history."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it "Jim Crow 2.0" and "dead on arrival."
Sources¶
- Democracy Docket — "House GOP passes sweeping anti-voting bill" (February 2026)
- Brennan Center for Justice — "New SAVE Act Bills Would Still Block Millions" (2026)
- Brennan Center for Justice — "House Passes SAVE Act; Brennan Center Reacts" (2026)
- PBS NewsHour — "How the SAVE America Act would make major changes to voting" (2026)
- Campaign Legal Center — "What You Need to Know About the SAVE Act" (2026)
- Axios — "SAVE Act: How Trump backed bill would transform voter ID laws" (2026)
- CBS News — "What is the SAVE America Act?" (2026)
- Wikipedia — "Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act" (ongoing)
- CNBC — "SAVE Act: House advances Trump-backed voter ID bill" (2026)
The dead teach the living. The machinery that kills also silences.
Every. Human. Matters.