Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Voter Citizenship Proof Requirement
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has blocked a portion of President Donald Trump’s executive order that required proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued the ruling in response to lawsuits challenging five provisions of Trump’s March 25 executive order on election integrity. While the judge dismissed challenges to three provisions, she granted requests to block two others related to proof of citizenship for voter registration. The blocked provisions aimed to amend national voter registration forms and require federal agencies to assess citizenship before offering voter registration to individuals on public assistance. Kollar-Kotelly emphasized that the authority to regulate federal elections lies with Congress and the states, not the President, and that no statutory delegation allows the President to bypass Congress’s deliberative process. The ruling comes as the Republican-led House passed a similar bill, which awaits Senate approval. Meanwhile, 25 states are considering similar legislation, and 15 state constitutions explicitly prohibit non-citizen voting. This decision marks another setback for Trump’s efforts to implement election integrity measures, following recent rulings against his orders to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in schools.