Judge Blocks Trump’s Citizenship Proof Requirement For Voter Registration
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has moved to block a key election integrity measure issued by President Donald J. Trump, ruling that the administration cannot require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for individuals using the federal voter registration form. The decision, handed down Friday, declares the requirement “unconstitutional” and strips the executive branch of its authority to enforce the safeguard.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sided with the Democratic National Committee and a collection of left-leaning activist organizations, concluding that the President lacks the power to direct federal election procedures.
“The first question presented in these consolidated cases is whether the president, acting unilaterally, may direct changes to federal election procedures,” Kollar-Kotelly wrote. “Because our Constitution assigns responsibility for election regulation to the States and to Congress, this Court holds that the President lacks the authority to direct such changes.”
Kollar-Kotelly further argued that “the Constitution assigns no direct role to the President in either domain,” permanently barring the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) from requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.
The ruling effectively freezes a central component of President Trump’s March executive order, which required individuals registering to vote in federal elections to provide government-issued documentation confirming citizenship — a policy the administration describes as basic election security.
The order also called on the Department of Justice to coordinate with states to identify non-citizens illegally registered to vote and conditioned certain election-related federal grants on compliance with uniform election integrity standards.
The White House responded sharply, stating that the President is well within his constitutional authority to ensure that only U.S. citizens participate in U.S. elections.
“President Trump has exercised his lawful authority to ensure only American citizens are casting ballots in American elections,” White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson said. “This is so commonsense that only the Democrat Party would file a lawsuit against it. We expect to be vindicated by a higher court.”
The plaintiffs — including the Democratic National Committee, the League of Women Voters Education Fund, and the League of United Latin American Citizens — argued the requirement would disproportionately impact certain voters by asking them to provide documentation such as birth certificates or passports.
Kollar-Kotelly had previously issued a preliminary injunction in April. Friday’s decision makes that block permanent for the citizenship requirement while other elements of the case continue, including a provision requiring that ballots must be received by Election Day to be counted — a rule opposed by states that rely heavily on mail-in voting, such as Oregon and Washington.
This marks the second time in recent months that Democrat-led states have turned to the courts to stop election security measures. In June, another federal judge blocked portions of the same order after 19 Democratic attorneys general argued it interfered with states’ authority.
Supporters of the President’s directive argue the measure is straightforward: It enforces existing federal law. It is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, and the executive branch is constitutionally obligated to ensure federal law is upheld.
President Trump has described the initiative as part of a broader effort to restore voter confidence.
“There are other steps that we will be taking in the coming weeks,” Trump said when signing the order. “We think we’ll be able to end up getting fair elections.”
The administration is expected to appeal the ruling immediately.