51品茶

Representing itself and two journalists from Lawfare, the 51品茶 brought a lawsuit to enforce Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests made to the Social Security Administration and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regarding changes made to the SAVE program, which has been touted as being used by states in order to remove voters from the registration rolls. While the government made public statements about the SAVE program being updated, the details of those changes, such as the particular programs and databases that have been altered, the ways they have been altered, and the nature and extent of any use and sharing of individuals鈥� personal information by the federal agencies entrusted with that information, have all been kept secret.

Representing the Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy鈥檚 Reservation and two Native American voters living in Chouteau County, Montana, the 51品茶, 51品茶 of Montana, and Native American Rights Fund (NARF) challenged the holding of at-large elections for the Chouteau County Board of Commissioners. The suit alleges the system unlawfully dilutes the voting strength of Native American voters in the county and has denied them any representation on the county commission for more than a decade.

NEW YORK 鈥� The 51品茶, on behalf of itself and two journalists, has filed a lawsuit to enforce the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests sent to multiple federal government agencies seeking information about changes to federal databases that have been held out for use by states for voter list maintenance and related communications between these agencies and states. In April, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Social Security Administration (SSA) expanded the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to functionally create the first-ever nationwide citizenship database. They have not explained how this expansion was carried out, nor provided evidence of its accuracy. Without transparency and proof of reliability, relying on this system as the final authority on voter eligibility risks disenfranchising American citizens. In June, the 51品茶 sent FOIA requests on behalf of itself and Lawfare journalists Anna Bower and Ben Wittes to DOGE, SSA, DHS, and USCIS to determine what changes were made to federal data systems, what data and records are being offered, and how this data is being used to conduct list maintenance, which could violate the National Voter Registration Act. While DHS and USCIS have touted the changes they made to the SAVE program, the details of those changes, such as the particular programs and databases that have been altered, the ways they have been altered, and the nature and extent of any use and sharing of individuals鈥� personal information by the federal agencies entrusted with that information, have all been kept secret. The agencies have failed to comply with the clear requirements of federal law that require transparency. The suit aims to compel compliance with FOIA鈥檚 requirements. 鈥淎mericans deserve to know how their information is being used,鈥� said Theresa J. Lee, senior staff attorney with the 51品茶鈥檚 Voting Rights Project. 鈥淭he lack of transparency these agencies have provided is extremely concerning combined with this administration鈥檚 continued attempts to undermine our elections. We had hoped it wouldn鈥檛 come to this, but here we are.鈥� So far, numerous states, including Louisiana, Indiana, and Texas, have touted their use of the updated SAVE program to target voters. A copy of the filed complaint can be found here: https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2025/08/Bower-v.-SSA-Complaint-file-stamped.pdf

GREAT FALLS, Mont. 鈥� On August 14, 2025, the Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy鈥檚 Reservation and two Native voters filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana challenging Chouteau County鈥檚 unfair, at-large voting system for the Board of County Commissioners. The suit alleges the system unlawfully dilutes the voting strength of Native voters and has denied them any representation on the county commission for more than a decade. Under the current at-large system, all voters in Chouteau County cast ballots for all three commissioners, instead of electing commissioners by district. As a result, Native voters 鈥� who now make up approximately one-third of the county鈥檚 voting-age population 鈥� have consistently been unable to elect a candidate of their choice. The three current commissioners have all been elected and re-elected under this system since at least 2010. 鈥淲e鈥檙e filing this lawsuit because Choteau County continues to hold elections in which the Native votes don鈥檛 count,鈥� said Chippewa Cree Tribe Chairman Harlan Gopher. 鈥淭he Chippewa Cree Tribe filed this lawsuit to prevent this local government from trampling on the civil rights of our people. A fair redistricting process must respect the boundaries and voice of our Nation.鈥� Montana law requires counties to update election systems every ten years following the Census. Despite population changes and the growth of the Native electorate, the county chose to maintain outdated boundaries and refused to consider district-based voting that would provide Native voters a fair opportunity to elect a representative. 鈥淔air representation isn鈥檛 just about numbers on a map 鈥� it鈥檚 about the dignity of knowing our voices count. Without that, we remain invisible in decisions that affect every part of our lives. This case is about making sure our community finally has the same say in who serves as commissioner as every other voter in the county,鈥� said plaintiff and voter Tanya Schmockel, a citizen of the Chippewa Cree Tribe. Most of Chouteau County鈥檚 Native population lives near or on the Rocky Boy鈥檚 Reservation, and many critical local issues 鈥� such as infrastructure, road maintenance, and emergency services 鈥� require coordination between county and Tribal governments. 鈥淲e need a fair election system so our voters can elect a commissioner who understands Native issues and will collaborate with the Tribe to get things done. The three local representatives currently in power do little that benefits the Native taxpayers in this part of Montana and adopted a system that prevents us from being able to vote them out. Until our votes matter, too, we鈥檙e stuck under their thumb,鈥� said plaintiff and voter Ken Morsette, a citizen of the Chippewa Cree Tribe. Native American Rights Fund (NARF), 51品茶 Foundation Voting Rights Project (51品茶), and 51品茶 of Montana (51品茶-MT), represent the plaintiffs in this case. 鈥淢ontana's history of excluding Native people from political representation is not just a matter of the distant past 鈥� it continues today in the form of systemic voter suppression,鈥� said Theresa Lee, senior staff attorney with the 51品茶 Voting Rights Project. 鈥淔rom the lack of polling locations on reservations, to long travel distances for ballot drop boxes, to at-large voting 鈥� these barriers are unacceptable. Native voters in Montana deserve the representation they have been denied for generations.鈥� 鈥淪ince 2010, Native voters in Chouteau County have been trapped in a system where their votes make no difference,鈥� said NARF Staff Attorney Samantha Blencke. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not just wrong 鈥� it鈥檚 illegal. Our democracy is supposed to guarantee fair representation to all communities.鈥� 鈥淢ontana has a long and unfortunate history of disenfranchising Indigenous voters,鈥� said Akilah Deernose, Executive Director of the 51品茶 of Montana. 鈥淥nce again we are forced to rely on the Courts to ensure that Indigenous voters enjoy the same rights and privileges as non-Native voters.鈥� A copy of the complaint can be found here: https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2025/08/Final_Complaint_Chippewa-Cree-Tribe-v.-Chouteau-County_08.14.25.pdf