Federal decide blocks Trump citizenship requirement for voter registration

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A federal decide has dominated the Trump administration can't implement an govt order requiring documented proof of U.S. citizenship on federal voter registration forms, a choice the administration defends as a lawful effort to guard election integrity.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, D.C., on Friday discovered the requirement unconstitutional, writing that the president "lacks the authority to direct such adjustments."

"The primary query offered in these consolidated circumstances is whether or not the president , performing unilaterally, could direct adjustments to federal election procedures," Kollar-Kotelly wrote in her opinion.

"As a result of our Constitution assigns accountability for election regulation to the States and to Congress, this Courtroom holds that the President lacks the authority to direct such adjustments."

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

Nonetheless, a spokesperson for the White Home instructed Fox Information Digital Trump acted inside his authorized powers.

"President Trump has exercised his lawful authority to make sure solely Americans are casting ballots in American elections," White Home deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson instructed Fox Information Digital in an electronic mail. "That is so commonsense that solely the Democrat Occasion would file a lawsuit towards it.

"We count on to be vindicated by the next court docket."

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 Schooling Fund — arguing the Structure "assigns no direct function to the president in both area."

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

The ruling says the U.S. Election Help Fee is completely blocked from including the requirement to the federal voter type, in line with The Related Press.

The lawsuit will proceed because the decide examines different elements of Trump’s order, in line with The Related Press.

In March, President Trump signed an govt order mandating that anybody registering to vote present government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship.

The order additionally directed the legal professional basic to enter into information-sharing agreements with state election officers to determine circumstances of election fraud or different election regulation violations and conditioned federal election-related funds on states complying with federal election integrity measures.

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"I Voted" stickers are pictured at a polling place. The lawsuit will proceed because the decide examines different elements of Trump’s order, in line with The Related Press. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photographs)

"There are different steps that we'll be taking within the coming weeks," Trump mentioned simply earlier than signing the order. "We predict we'll be capable to find yourself getting honest elections."

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

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

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

Sophia Compton is a Author at Fox Information Digital. Sophia was beforehand a enterprise reporter masking finance, power and tourism and has expertise as a TV information producer. She graduated with a journalism diploma in 2021 from the College of Hawaii at Manoa.