Iowa Sues Federal Government Over Access to Citizenship Records

State officials seek injunction for access to voter citizenship data, claiming federal noncompliance jeopardizes election integrity.

The Iowa Judicial Branch Building, in a file photo. Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo

The State of Iowa has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging the federal agency failed to adequately support efforts to verify voter eligibility through its Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.

Days before the 2024 presidential election, Iowa officials allege the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) declined the state’s request for a list of noncitizens registered to vote despite “having confirmed that hundreds of noncitizens were on Iowa’s voter rolls after a manual individualized process.”