A federal judge has blocked former President Donald Trump’s attempt to enforce a citizenship proof requirement on federal voter registration forms, ruling that the directive violates the Constitution’s separation of powers. The court sided with Democratic and civil rights groups, who argued that Trump’s executive order overstepped presidential authority in election regulation. The ruling marks a major setback for Trump’s broader push to reshape US election rules ahead of 2026, leaving one of his key voter reform measures permanently barred.
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Court Strikes Down Trump Directive
US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, DC, ruled that Trump’s order requiring documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration cannot be implemented. She found that the mandate was an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers. “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 wrote. The ruling aligns with her earlier comments when issuing a preliminary injunction against the order.
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Limits of Presidential Authority
In her decision, Judge Kollar-Kotelly emphasized that the President has no constitutional role in determining voter qualifications or federal election procedures. “The Constitution assigns no direct role to the President in either domain,” she wrote, reaffirming that only Congress and the states hold that power. The court’s opinion effectively rejects the Trump administration’s argument that such executive action was needed to protect electoral integrity.
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Permanent Ban on Enforcement
The ruling grants partial summary judgment to the plaintiffs, permanently blocking the US Election Assistance Commission from adding the citizenship proof requirement to federal voter registration forms. This decision prevents Trump’s order from taking effect nationwide. The judge’s ruling ensures that the federal registration process will continue to operate under existing laws without additional documentary barriers for voters.
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Civil Rights Advocates Celebrate Victory
Sophia Lin Lakin of the ACLU, one of the plaintiffs, called the ruling “a clear victory for our democracy.” She said Trump’s order represented “an unconstitutional power grab” designed to limit voter access. Advocacy groups hailed the decision as a defense of the right to vote without unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles. A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ruling.
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Republican Efforts Face Setbacks
The decision delivers another blow to Republican-led efforts to require documentary proof of citizenship for voting. Although the US House passed a citizenship mandate earlier this year, the measure has stalled in the Senate. State-level attempts to impose similar requirements have faced repeated legal challenges and voter confusion, creating obstacles for those with name changes or missing records, particularly married women.
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History of Failed State Laws
Previous state efforts illustrate the logistical chaos such requirements can cause. In Kansas, a similar law blocked around 30,000 eligible voters before being struck down in federal court. Meanwhile, in New Hampshire, the rule’s first implementation during local elections led to widespread confusion and documentation issues. Studies have consistently shown that instances of noncitizen voting are exceedingly rare, undermining claims of widespread voter fraud.
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Broader Legal Battle Continues
The ruling is part of a broader legal struggle over Trump’s March executive order to reshape election procedures. While this decision blocks the citizenship proof requirement, the lawsuit continues on other fronts, including Trump’s mandate that mailed ballots must be received, not just postmarked, by Election Day. Additional lawsuits from 19 Democratic attorneys general, along with challenges from states like Washington and Oregon, remain active in separate courts.