SCOTUS Upholds Trump's 'SAVE' Database in Split Ruling, Blocks GOP Gerrymandering in Bipartisan Ruling

The US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration's enhancements to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database on Friday, nullifying a district court judge's block in June.

Note: Though related, the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) SAVE database and President Donald Trump's proposed SAVE America Act are not the same measures. 

Politically Split on SAVE: The Court's six conservative justices – Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Amy Coney Barrett, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, John G. Roberts, Jr., and Clarence Thomas – held the majority opinion and stated that the district court order "inhibits the Federal Government's efforts to assist state and local agencies in the proper administration of the midterm elections." It also, however, upholds a provision that "prohibit[es] states from 'systematically remov[ing] the names of ineligible voters' from their rolls during the 90 days prior to any primary or general election." (The 2026 Midterms are less than 40 days away.)

Liberal justices Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Sonia Sotomayor dissented, stating, "The harm caused by burdening or disenfranchising even a few lawful voters outweighs the nonexistent harm that the Government experiences when it is prevented from taking an action that it likely lacks the authority to take."

For Context: Trump's enhancements to the SAVE database, which was first established in 1986, include stricter regulations on mail-in voting, a federal voter registration list, and increased records access and transparency. US District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan blocked the enhancements in June due to their alleged privacy violations. Track more of Trump's history with voter eligibility here.

Bipartisan Missouri Ruling: The Court also ruled on Friday against a GOP attempt to redraw Missouri's congressional map – the success of which would have removed a Democrat's seat in the House of Representatives. The justices presented no division in the unsigned ruling and asserted, "At this late date, ordering reversion to the 2025 map in the midst of an ongoing election would usher in electoral chaos."

RELATED: The Insight: Gerrymandering and the Midterms | AllSides

How The Media Covered: News outlets across the political spectrum covered both the split and bipartisan rulings, though many used slanted language for both stories as election-related issues become stronger points of contention ahead of the 2026 Midterms. MS NOW (Left bias), for example, highlighted the SAVE ruling's dissent and the Court's "GOP-appointed majority," while Fox News (Right) framed it as a "win" for Trump and gave a more prominent voice to its supporters. Fox also noted, "States' use of the SAVE program is voluntary."

RELATED: 2026 Election Center | AllSides, Powered by PILLARS

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