The organization filed a lawsuit over the state’s use of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, program.

AUSTIN, Texas — Voting rights advocates are taking Texas county and state leaders to court, accusing them of taking part in what they call an illegal voter purge program.

A lawsuit filed in federal district court in Austin by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) names Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson and elections officials in Brazoria, Dallas, Denton and Collin counties. 

At issue is the state’s use of a federal online service known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, program. The program allows federal, state and local agencies to verify an applicant’s immigration status or citizenship in real-time.

The lawsuit accuses the state of using the system to remove people from voter rolls without checking state records to confirm their citizenship, which would violate the National Voter Registration Act.

In a press release published in tandem with the lawsuit, LULAC CEO Juan Proaño said, “Texas’ decision to rely blindly on stale and unreliable data, without even cross-checking it with their own, puts the voting rights of countless Texans at risk. These actions are not only discriminatory, but a clear violation of the National Voter Registration Act. To comply with the law and to better serve their citizens, we are calling for an immediate end to this illegal voter purge program.”

KVUE reached out to the Secretary of State’s Office for a response to LULAC’s claims, but have not yet heard back as of publication.