Updated March 19th, 2026
Most Americans don’t know that Native people weren’t granted U.S. citizenship until 1924. Even now, Native citizenship is made complex by questions of sovereignty, colonial borders, and centuries of policy failure. This makes Native communities particularly vulnerable to federal policy changes.
Our voices are a vital part of our democracy. We know how important it is for you to be heard and to make sure the communities you care about are heard, too. That’s why we want to make you aware of an important issue being debated on the US Senate floor right now.
What Does the SAVE Act Do?
The SAVE Act proposes changes to birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants, non-citizen visa holders, and individuals without permanent status. In doing so, it opens the door to significant reinterpretations of what it means to be “born in the United States,” which may have direct implications for Native communities.
The SAVE Act (H.R. 22) would fundamentally change how Americans register to vote. It would require all citizens to provide physical, documentary proof of citizenship—such as a passport or birth certificate—to register or update their voter information. Because these documents must be verified by an official, this effectively forces most people to register in person. While this may sound like a simple requirement, it creates a disproportionate crisis for Native American voters.
Some lawmakers have suggested that Tribal lands are not part of the United States for citizenship purposes. This interpretation would challenge how Native sovereignty is understood, especially for students born on reservations.
With their citizenship status under threat, Native communities would be forced to travel long distances to attain birth certificates and social security documents to prove their citizen status – if these documents are available at all. These effects ripple out: all the way to the ballot box.
Why is the SAVE Act a barrier?
- The Act requires IDs to list a “place of birth” to be valid. Most Tribal IDs do not include this, effectively rendering them useless for registration.
- Without a valid Tribal ID, voters must produce expensive or hard-to-replace documents like passports or birth certificates.
- For those on rural Tribal lands, “registering in person” isn’t a quick trip—it can mean a 100+ mile journey to the nearest election office during work hours.
Legislation that ignores the geographic and sovereign realities of Indian Country isn’t about security—it’s about exclusion. You can help stop this.
Why Does This Matter to Indian Country?
Native people hold dual citizenship as members of their Tribal Nations and the United States, a status protected by the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 and affirmed through decades of federal law. But under the SAVE Act, these long-standing protections become vulnerable to reinterpretation, abuse, and erasure.
Already, Native students are facing increased scrutiny, as well as bureaucratic barriers to basic rights like housing and education. The SAVE Act would only increase the confusion and discrimination Native students experience, and make it harder to exercise their right to vote and make their voices heard.
This fight is about more than legal theory – it’s about civil rights. It’s about who gets to belong – and whether Native people will once again be told they’re not “really” citizens.
Take Action: Tell your Senator to vote NO
Please contact your Senators today and urge them to oppose the SAVE Act. Your advocacy is critical to ensuring that Native voters are not excluded.
https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
Suggested Script for Your Call: ”Hello, my name is [Your Name] and my zip code is [Your Zip Code]. I am calling to urge my Senator to oppose the SAVE Act. This bill creates unnecessary barriers to voter registration and would exclude countless voters, including American Indian and Alaska Natives. Please vote NO on this restrictive legislation.”
