Federal judge blocks Trump citizenship requirement for voter registration

A federal decide has dominated that the Trump administration can’t implement an government order requiring documented proof of U.S. citizenship on federal voter registration kinds, a call the administration is defending as a lawful effort to guard election integrity.

U.S. District Decide Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, D.C., dominated Friday that the requirement is unconstitutional, writing that the president “lacks the authority to direct such modifications.”

“The primary query raised in these consolidated instances is whether or not the President, performing unilaterally, could institute modifications in federal election procedures,” Kollar-Kotelly wrote in her opinion.

“As a result of our Structure assigns duty for election regulation to the States and Congress, this Court docket holds that the President doesn’t have the authority to direct such modifications.”

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President Donald Trump walks away from Marine One after arriving on the South Garden of the White Home on July 29, 2025 in Washington. A federal decide dominated Friday that the Trump administration can’t implement an government order requiring documented proof of U.S. citizenship on federal voter registration kinds. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

Nonetheless, a White Home spokesperson instructed Fox Information Digital that Trump acted inside his authorized authority.

“President Trump has exercised his lawful authority to make sure that solely Americans solid ballots within the American elections,” Abigail Jackson, White Home deputy press secretary, instructed Fox Information Digital in an e-mail. “That is so widespread sense that solely the Democratic Celebration would file a lawsuit towards it.

“We anticipate {that a} larger court docket might be proper.”

The decide sided with the plaintiffs – together with the League of United Latin American Residents (LULAC), the Democratic Nationwide Committee and the League of Ladies Voters Training Fund – arguing that the Structure “doesn’t grant a direct function to the president in both area.”

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Voting cubicles are proven right here. In March, President Trump signed an government order requiring anybody registering to vote to offer government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship. (Paul J. Richards/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)

The ruling completely bars the U.S. Election Help Fee from including the requirement to the federal voter registration kind, in line with The Related Press.

In response to The Related Press, the lawsuit will proceed whereas the decide examines different components of Trump’s order.

In March, President Trump signed an government order requiring anybody registering to vote to offer government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship.

The order additionally directed the lawyer common to enter into information-sharing agreements with state election officers to determine instances of election fraud or different violations of election regulation, and made federal election-related funds conditional on states complying with federal election integrity measures.

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‘I voted’ stickers are displayed at a polling station. In response to The Related Press, the lawsuit will proceed whereas the decide examines different components of Trump’s order. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photographs)

“There are different steps we’ll take within the coming weeks,” Trump mentioned simply earlier than signing the order. “We predict we are able to in the end have a good election.”

Kollar-Kotelly beforehand issued a preliminary injunction in April, and one other federal decide blocked the identical March 25 government order in June after a separate problem filed by Democratic attorneys common, The Related Press reported.

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The White Home didn’t instantly reply to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark.

Louis Casiano, Shannon Bream and Invoice Mears of Fox Information contributed to this report.