Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) announced plans to introduce articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, following her decision to block the implementation of a voter citizenship verification database. Hamadeh stated he would introduce the articles on Thursday, accusing Sooknanan of exceeding her constitutional authority.
Sooknanan's ruling halted the administration's revised Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, which aimed to combine Department of Homeland Security citizenship records with Social Security data to verify voter eligibility. In her 75-page opinion, Sooknanan found that the administration likely violated the Privacy Act and Social Security Act by sharing the database with states despite concerns over inaccuracies, which had led to eligible voters being incorrectly flagged as noncitizens.
Hamadeh criticized Sooknanan's ruling, stating it undermined election integrity and was an unlawful subversion of presidential authority. He emphasized the need to restore the rule of law. The Trump administration has indicated plans to appeal Sooknanan's decision, arguing that the alleged inaccuracies do not justify blocking the program. The ruling has drawn significant attention, with various Republican officials expressing their discontent and calling for changes to judicial appointment processes.
Despite Hamadeh's intentions, the impeachment process would face significant challenges, as a two-thirds Senate vote is required for conviction and removal of a federal judge. Historically, only eight federal judges have been removed through impeachment in U.S. history.