As Republicans continue pressing for passage of the Trump-backed SAVE America Act ahead of the midterm elections, supporters of the legislation are pointing to a case in Alabama that they argue demonstrates why stricter voter registration requirements are needed.
The SAVE America Act, formally known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, has passed the House of Representatives three times but has repeatedly stalled in the Senate. Supporters say the bill would strengthen election integrity by requiring individuals registering to vote in federal elections to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, rather than relying primarily on existing verification systems and government databases.
Republicans backing the legislation argue that those systems can fail to identify every ineligible registrant. An investigation in Alabama has become one of the examples frequently cited in support of that argument.
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen’s office finds 3,251 illegals registered to vote
One county found 186 verified noncitizens in one audit, 25 of them confirmed to have voted illegally
Here’s how they were able to do it: The state says they only allow American citizens to… pic.twitter.com/LAgwwK5rPa
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) July 7, 2026
The effort began in 2023 when Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen announced that his office had identified 3,251 individuals registered to vote who had also been issued noncitizen identification numbers by the Department of Homeland Security. At the time, Allen said it was possible that some of those individuals had since become naturalized U.S. citizens and therefore remained legally eligible to vote. His office said those individuals would be given the opportunity to update their voter registration information before any action was taken.
Allen also said his office sought assistance from the Biden administration but was unable to obtain the cooperation needed to verify the records. His attempt to remove names from the voter rolls was later challenged in court during the Biden administration.
After President Donald Trump returned to office, Allen’s office partnered with the federal government to gain access to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, program, which is used to verify immigration status. Using that system, Alabama removed 186 registered voters identified as noncitizens from the state’s voter rolls in January 2026. According to Allen’s office, use of the program was later blocked by a federal judge in June.
During the review, investigators determined that 25 of those 186 individuals had not only registered to vote but had also cast ballots in Alabama elections.
Allen’s office worked with the Department of Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama to investigate the cases. One of those investigations led to the prosecution of 45-year-old Mexican national Homero Ramos.
BREAKING: Mexican national living in Alabama Homero Ramos, pleaded guilty to two counts of fraudulent voting for voting in the 2022 & 2024 elections despite not being a U.S. citizen
The thing that Democrats say never happens happened again! pic.twitter.com/0f9kpgZWtp
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 29, 2026
On June 5, 2026, Allen announced that Ramos had pleaded guilty to two counts of fraudulent voting in Marion County after voting in both the 2022 and 2024 general elections.
“Earlier this year, my Office referred 25 noncitizens who illegally voted in Alabama elections to federal law enforcement authorities,” Allen said in a statement. “A noncitizen residing in Marion County, who registered to vote prior to my election as Secretary of State, has pleaded guilty to two counts of fraudulent voting.”
Allen added that his office would continue identifying noncitizens who were illegally registered to vote and refer those cases for prosecution.
“My Office will continue our efforts to identify noncitizens illegally registered to vote and voting in our elections and I will refer them to law enforcement and ensure that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said. “I am thankful that President Trump shares my zero-tolerance policy for noncitizen voting and for his DOJ’s particular attention to election integrity.”
At the time of the announcement, Allen’s office did not explain how Ramos had originally been able to register. According to the Department of Justice, Ramos later told investigators that two associates took him to a voter registration location in Marion County and told him they could help him register. The DOJ said Ramos did not disclose that he was not a U.S. citizen and instead presented an Alabama driver’s license during the registration process.
Under Alabama administrative rules, certain driver’s licenses may be accepted as proof of citizenship if they contain the required indication of U.S. citizenship, commonly referred to as a “Star” license or identification card. Applicants are also required to certify under penalty of law that they are U.S. citizens when registering to vote.
District Attorney Pamela Casey announced that a grand jury indicted Franc Maloney for unlawfully voting in nine state and federal elections, despite not being a U.S. citizen — https://t.co/mzS5mgVE9v pic.twitter.com/6WX6W8HqQ5
— ABC 33/40 News (@abc3340) January 23, 2026
The Justice Department also pointed to another Alabama case involving Canadian citizen Franc Neil Maloney, who was charged in January with allegedly voting in nine state and federal elections despite not being a U.S. citizen. At the time those charges were announced, Maloney was reportedly free on bond in an unrelated criminal case involving child pornography charges.
Supporters of the SAVE America Act argue that requiring documentary proof of citizenship at the time of registration would prevent cases like those uncovered in Alabama rather than relying on voter-roll reviews after elections have already taken place.
Representative Riley Moore of West Virginia told Breitbart News that election integrity remains one of the Republican Party’s top priorities and said House Republicans are working to attach the SAVE America Act to the National Defense Authorization Act.
“This will be a top issue for any Republican that you talk to,” Moore said, adding that support for the legislation extends across the Republican conference.
President Trump also renewed his call for the legislation during his Fourth of July address in Washington, D.C., urging Congress to approve the bill. Trump has previously encouraged Senate Majority Leader John Thune to use a talking filibuster to advance the legislation, though Thune has not committed to that approach.
250 YEARS OF SAVING AMERICA!
“We want to keep America great. And we will do so by approving the SAVE AMERICA ACT, which means all voters must show voter ID. All voters must provide a little thing called proof of citizenship!” -President Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/2pXkRgUIEQ
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) July 5, 2026
While the SAVE America Act has cleared the House, it currently lacks the votes needed to overcome the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold. Supporters continue to explore procedural options that could allow the measure to receive a final vote.
“All voters must provide a little thing called proof of citizenship,” Trump said during his July Fourth speech. “And there will be no mail-in ballots except for illness, disability, military deployment, or travel. And you won’t have cheating on the elections anymore. It’s very simple.”
