A federal judge has blocked a key component of President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at securing U.S. elections—specifically, a provision that would have required individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship before registering to vote in federal elections.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, a Clinton appointee, issued a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of the rule, arguing that the president does not have the constitutional authority to mandate such changes unilaterally. In her ruling, she claimed that only Congress and state legislatures have the power to set voter registration standards for federal elections.
The decision is a blow to Trump’s broader effort to restore election integrity and crack down on what many see as a glaring vulnerability in the current system—non-citizens registering and potentially voting in U.S. elections, particularly in states where voter ID laws are weak or nonexistent.
Trump’s executive order, signed in March, sought to close that loophole by requiring proof of citizenship during voter registration—particularly for those registering through public assistance agencies. The measure also directed federal departments, including Homeland Security, to share information with state election offices to verify the citizenship status of registered voters.
Critics of the ruling say it protects a system rife with opportunities for abuse and ties the hands of any administration that wants to enforce common-sense voting requirements.
“This is yet another example of the judiciary stepping in to protect Democrats’ ability to exploit our election system,” said one senior Trump administration official. “You need ID to buy cough medicine, but not to vote? The American people see through it.”
Despite the judge’s ruling, other parts of Trump’s executive order will remain in effect for now, including provisions requiring DHS to assist states in auditing voter rolls for non-citizens and pushing for tighter mail-in ballot deadlines. Legal battles over those sections are expected to continue.
Trump has vowed to keep fighting, calling election security “a matter of national survival” and accusing left-wing groups of working overtime to keep voter rolls bloated, unverified, and vulnerable to manipulation.
“We want fair elections—not rigged ones,” Trump said. “Only American citizens should vote in American elections. Period.”
The administration is expected to appeal the ruling, setting up another high-stakes legal showdown over who gets to define the rules for America’s elections—and whether the federal government can require proof that voters are actually citizens.