Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Enforcing Citizenship Check On Voter Forms
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., issued a permanent injunction on Friday blocking key provisions of an executive order on elections signed by President Donald Trump last year, ruling that the directives exceeded presidential authority. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered that federal agencies cannot require individuals to provide documentary proof of citizenship before receiving voter registration forms, marking a significant legal setback for the administration’s election overhaul efforts.
The ruling specifically prohibits federal agencies from “assessing citizenship” prior to distributing standardized national voter registration forms to people enrolling in public assistance programs. Additionally, the decision bars the Secretary of Defense from requiring military personnel to submit documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote or requesting absentee ballots. In her opinion, Judge Kollar-Kotelly, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, emphasized that the Constitution entrusts the regulation of federal elections to Congress and the states, rather than the executive branch. She wrote that the President generally lacks the unilateral authority to impose such changes on federal election procedures and that no statutory delegation permitted the executive branch to bypass the legislative process.
The Trump administration has strongly objected to the challenges against the executive order, arguing that the proof-of-citizenship requirements are essential measures to restore public confidence in the electoral process and ensure that only eligible American citizens cast ballots. A White House spokesperson defended the executive order following the ruling, stating that the President was exercising his lawful authority to protect election integrity and criticizing the decision as an obstacle to common-sense safeguards. The lawsuit was brought by a coalition of voting rights organizations and Democratic groups who argued that the executive order violated the separation of powers and would disenfranchise eligible voters, particularly those serving in the military and individuals relying on public assistance.
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