Biden-Appointed Judge Blocks Trump Administration Election Enforcement Tactics Through November 16

With voters days from deciding control of Congress, a federal judge has stepped in to limit how the Trump administration can pursue suspected noncitizen voting.

U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson, a Biden appointee, issued an emergency order Friday evening. It bars the Justice Department and Homeland Security from demanding that election officials in any state segregate ballots, purge voter rolls or halt ballot processing. It also blocks threats of criminal prosecution against election officials. The order runs through November 16, covering Election Day and the counting that follows.

Thompson found that the administration's actions were likely to interfere with election administration and disenfranchise lawful voters. She rejected the idea that election workers could face prosecution for failing to do enough to stop illegal voting, and she ordered officials to report search warrant applications, grand jury subpoenas and demands for election materials tied to the government's lists.

The suit was brought in the Northern District of California by labor unions and civil rights groups, including the NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens. They argue the government violated the Voting Rights Act and intruded on the states' power to run elections.

At the center is a DHS program that compares state voter lists with federal records. The administration says it is necessary to stop unlawful voting. Election officials say the lists are unreliable and include citizens. In a separate fight, the Ninth Circuit rejected federal demands over disputed California ballots.

The Justice Department was contacted for comment by CNN. For supporters of President Trump, the order is another case of a single district judge setting nationwide limits on the executive branch days before an election. Noncitizens have no right to vote in federal elections, and conservatives will ask how that law can be enforced if officials cannot act on suspected violations. The courts will have the next word.