House to vote on SAVE Act next week

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act next week. The legislation would require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. The House Rules Committee has added the SAVE Act to its meeting announcement for Monday, March 31st, signaling the upcoming floor vote.

Introduced by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), the SAVE Act (H.R. 22) would also require states to remove noncitizens from their voter rolls. The House passed the bill during the previous Congress, mostly along party lines, but five Democrats sided with Republicans in support of the legislation. 

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) blocked the bill from coming to the floor in the Senate, but we expect it to receive consideration now that the Senate is under GOP control. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced the Senate companion bill, S. 128.

See the fact sheet on the SAVE Act here.

As of April 2024, an estimated 30 million noncitizens were living in the United States. All 50 states and the District of Columbia issue driver's licenses, including REAL IDs, to noncitizens who are in the country legally. 19 states and the District of Columbia issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens. Noncitizens, including certain illegal aliens, can also obtain a Social Security number. Therefore, most noncitizens can obtain the basic documents needed to complete the federal voter registration form.

The upcoming vote on the SAVE Act coincides with President Trump’s new executive order directing federal agencies to take steps "to protect the integrity of our election process." Trump's order directs the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to require proof of citizenship for anyone using the federal form to register to vote. However, the order does not apply to state-issued voter registration forms. It could be rescinded by future administrations, so passing the SAVE Act is vital to preventing noncitizens from voting in future elections.

Immigration News

The Self-Deporters
Just this morning, Miriam Jordan of The New York Times wrote about a “surprising trend” of illegal aliens choosing to self-deport, or voluntarily return to their home countries, all due to the increase in enforcement against illegal immigration by the Trump Administration. Of course, this isn’t a surprise to the rest of us. The end of the article makes it clear why more is needed and why it’s so critical that the administration (with Congress’s help) continues this drive:

“For now, most migrants are staying put. They’ve trekked through jungles and cartel territory to get here. Instead of giving up, they limit their outings and keep a low profile.

What could change their minds? The job market, several told me. A crackdown on U.S. businesses that employed undocumented workers would drive many into the shadows and others back home. A recession would have the same effect. Wayne Cornelius, an immigration scholar at the University of California, San Diego, has found that bleak job prospects are most likely to impel undocumented immigrants to leave.”

All Quiet on the Southern Front: How the Border Has Changed Under Trump
Billal Rahman at Newsweek has an article this week with an in-depth look at how things have changed at the Southern border in recent months. From illegal crossings to fentanyl and the cartels, Rahman paints a picture of just how quiet things have gotten and how far CBP still needs to go.

IRS nears deal with ICE to share addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants
One of the key things that the Trump Administration has been doing to improve its ability to enforce immigration law is sharing data across the varied agencies. It may surprise you that the IRS wasn’t openly sharing information with ICE, but this has been a longstanding issue. For example, recent articles point out that Health and Human Services (HHS), which is responsible for placing so-called unaccompanied alien children (UACs), was blocked from sharing data on illegal alien sponsors with ICE. According to the Washington Post, the IRS will begin allowing ICE to cross-reference addresses of suspected illegal aliens with tax data to confirm the illegal alien’s location. We hope this is a sign of even more to come.

As the U.S. tracks suspected Venezuelan gang members, a look at a group that’s helping
This week, the Miami Herald had a fascinating report on a secretive group that’s assisting in tracking down Tren de Aragua gang members in the United States. According to the Herald, this group had warned the Biden Administration that the Maduro regime was sending the gang to the U.S. to operate as an unofficial armed branch of the corrupt Venezuelan dictator, but they were ignored. Now, they are working hand-in-hand with the Trump Administration to get the TdA thugs out. 

Gosar Reintroduces Legislation to Eliminate Program Favoring Foreign Workers over Americans
Lastly, this week, Rep. Paul Gosar (R, AZ–09) reintroduced the Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act. This bill ends the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which was created by executive fiat and has become one of the largest guestworker programs in the country. You can learn more about this program here: OPT: Unauthorized Program that Harms American Graduates.

Next Week

The House is expected to vote on the SAVE Act. Republicans in both chambers will continue to work on a compromise budget resolution.