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…