Judge Permanently Blocks Trump Order Requiring Proof of Citizenship to Vote

A federal judge on Wednesday permanently blocked a key Trump administration election order that would have required Americans to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

U.S. District Judge Denise Casper ruled that the Constitution does not give the president authority to unilaterally rewrite election rules, siding with Democratic attorneys general and voting-rights groups that challenged the order. The decision converts a previous preliminary injunction into a permanent ban on the enforcement of major provisions of the executive order.

The executive order, signed during President Donald Trump’s second term, sought to require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration, prohibit states from counting mail ballots received after Election Day even if they were postmarked on time, and potentially withhold certain federal funds from states that refused to comply.

In her ruling, Casper wrote that election administration authority rests with the states and Congress—not the White House.

“The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,” Casper wrote.

The ruling marks the latest legal setback for Trump’s election agenda. Multiple federal courts have already blocked portions of the administration’s efforts to impose proof-of-citizenship requirements, alter voter registration procedures, and restrict mail voting through executive action.

Supporters of the order argued it was necessary to ensure only U.S. citizens vote in federal elections. Critics countered that documented cases of noncitizen voting are exceedingly rare and warned that proof-of-citizenship mandates could disenfranchise eligible voters who lack passports, birth certificates, or other qualifying documents.

The fight is far from over.

Trump continues to push Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, legislation that would establish a federal proof-of-citizenship requirement through statute rather than executive order. The bill has cleared the House but remains stalled in the Senate amid procedural and political opposition.

The Supreme Court is also expected to weigh in soon on a separate but closely watched dispute over whether states may count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day if they were mailed on time, a decision that could affect election procedures in more than a dozen states.