Montgomery, AL – Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen has joined 20 other conservative Secretaries of State in urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prioritize improvements to the Systematic Alien Verifications for Entitlements (SAVE) program. In a letter addressed to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the group of officials requested enhancements to the program, which is used by state and local governments to verify noncitizen status for individuals applying for social benefits.
According to Allen, the current limitations of the SAVE program make it difficult to verify citizenship for voting purposes. He emphasized that preventing noncitizens from registering or voting in Alabama elections is a key priority. “I have a zero-tolerance policy for noncitizens voting in Alabama’s elections,” Allen stated. “Fortifying states’ tools to verify the citizenship of those attempting to register and/or registered to vote is a critical objective for me and my colleagues.”
Allen has previously voiced concerns over the ability of states to access federal data for voter registration verification. Last year, he testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules at the invitation of Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), where he discussed his office’s efforts to obtain noncitizen data from the federal government. Allen claimed these attempts were blocked by the Biden administration, a point he reiterated in his recent statements.
The request to DHS reflects broader concerns among Republican-led states regarding election security and the integrity of voter rolls. The Secretaries of State involved in the letter argue that improvements to the SAVE program would provide states with a more reliable tool to confirm citizenship status and prevent ineligible individuals from registering or casting ballots.
The DHS has not yet responded to the request for changes to the SAVE program.
