The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to lift a lower court injunction blocking the use of a federal citizenship database intended to identify possibly ineligible voters ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. The administration’s request, filed Tuesday, seeks permission for states to access the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, which would allow officials to cross-check voter registration records against federal citizenship and Social Security information.

Currently, a temporary freeze imposed by a federal appeals court prevents the administration from implementing this expanded screening tool. The appeals court ruling, issued last Friday by a divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, found that the administration had not demonstrated that using the database would comply with laws designed to protect the confidentiality of Social Security data.

The SAVE system, established in 1986, provides government officials with a quick method to verify individuals’ immigration and citizenship status for determining eligibility for benefits. Under the Trump administration, the database has been broadened to integrate Social Security Administration data, a move that critics argue could expose voters’ personal information and lead to erroneous challenges to their eligibility.

Voting rights organizations have opposed the administration’s efforts, filing lawsuits contending that the expansion of the SAVE database effectively converts it into a nationwide citizenship registry. These groups warn that inaccuracies within the data could cause legal voters to be improperly removed from voter rolls, potentially disenfranchising eligible participants in the election. They also raise concerns about privacy and the constitutional authority of states over election management.

In response, the administration contends that the court’s block on the tool is unjustified and undermines efforts to protect election integrity. D. John Sauer, solicitor general representing the administration, described the freeze as “an indefensible order” that impairs federal agencies’ ability to assist states in verifying citizenship status for voting and other purposes.

The request to the Supreme Court is part of a broader legal battle over election procedures in the lead-up to the midterms. Earlier this week, the administration also requested court approval to modify mail-in voting processes via the U.S. Postal Service, a move challenged by Democratic officials and voting rights groups who argue the plan infringes on state and congressional authority.

Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has escalated efforts to identify noncitizens on voter rolls, deploying hundreds of agents despite limited evidence of widespread noncitizen voting. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin recently urged a Justice Department inquiry into the reliability of voting machines to seek verifiable records of ballots cast, reflecting the administration’s ongoing scrutiny of election mechanisms.

Opponents of these initiatives point to the lack of substantiated claims of voter fraud, emphasizing the potential risks to voters’ privacy and the integrity of the electoral process. “Millions of Americans’ sensitive personal information and the integrity of our elections are on the line, just weeks before the midterm elections,” said Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, an organization representing plaintiffs challenging the database expansion.

The Supreme Court has set a deadline of next Tuesday for challengers to respond to the administration’s emergency application to use the citizenship database. How the justices decide could have significant implications for voting access and enforcement practices in the coming election cycle.