Fact Check: DHS's new tool could verify citizenship for almost all Americans.

Fact Check: DHS's New Tool Could Verify Citizenship for Almost All Americans

What We Know

The claim that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has developed a new tool capable of verifying citizenship for almost all Americans stems from recent announcements regarding various verification tools. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) operates the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, which is designed to verify lawful U.S. citizenship and immigration status for federal and state agencies (USCIS Deploys Common Sense Tools to Verify Voters). Additionally, the Alien Registration Requirement (ARR) Determination Tool is intended to help individuals determine their registration requirements, but it does not inherently verify citizenship for all Americans (Alien Registration Requirement).

Furthermore, there are reports about the DHS testing AI-powered tools to enhance document translation and interpretation, but these tools are not specifically aimed at verifying citizenship status (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services – AI ...).

Analysis

While the SAVE program and the ARR Determination Tool are significant in the context of verifying immigration status, they do not equate to a comprehensive tool that can verify citizenship for "almost all Americans." The SAVE program is primarily utilized by government agencies to confirm the status of individuals who are applying for benefits, rather than a blanket verification tool for the entire population (USCIS Deploys Common Sense Tools to Verify Voters).

The claim also references a new citizenship tracking tool that could potentially provide local and state governments with methods to check citizenship status. However, the effectiveness and reach of such a tool remain speculative, as it is still in the developmental phase and has not been fully implemented (Trump DHS links data for new citizenship tracking tool).

The reliability of the sources discussing these tools varies. The USCIS and DHS announcements are official government communications, which generally carry a higher degree of credibility. However, reports from news outlets may contain speculative elements or interpretations that require careful scrutiny.

Conclusion

The assertion that DHS's new tool could verify citizenship for almost all Americans is False. The existing tools, such as SAVE and the ARR Determination Tool, are not designed to verify citizenship status for the general population but rather serve specific purposes related to immigration status verification. Additionally, any new tools in development have not yet been proven effective or comprehensive enough to fulfill this claim.