A federal judge in Boston permanently barred President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing most of his elections executive order, including a requirement that voters show documentary proof of citizenship when they register. The ruling turned a prio
By the time the courtroom door closed, the fight over proof of citizenship had already reached its decisive point.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper in Boston permanently barred President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing most of his first executive order on elections. Part of that order would have required people to provide documentary proof of citizenship when they register to vote.
Casper’s ruling effectively converts an earlier preliminary injunction from a year ago—when she temporarily blocked many of Trump’s election overhaul efforts—into a permanent ban. She rejected the Republican administration’s argument that the lawsuit brought by Democratic state attorneys general was premature because the rules had not yet been put in place.
At the center of Casper’s decision was the question of who holds authority over election rules. She agreed that the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to regulate elections and said Trump’s requirements violated the separation of powers.
“The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,” Casper wrote.
The executive order at issue included multiple proposed changes beyond the proof-of-citizenship requirement. Trump’s plan would have required documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote. prevented mail ballots from being counted if they arrive after Election Day even if they were postmarked by then. and punished states that failed to comply by withholding certain federal money.
New York Attorney General Letitia James called the ruling a direct block to what she described as an unconstitutional grab for control. In a statement. she said she was grateful the court had blocked Trump’s “unconstitutional attempt to seize control of our elections” and vowed to defend voting rights in this year’s midterm elections.
“Generations of Americans fought tirelessly for the right to vote, and we honor their legacy by protecting that right against anyone who tries to undermine it,” James said.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose state was the lead plaintiff, framed the ruling as a reaffirmation of where election rules belong. He said the decision restates the constitutional principle that election rules are set by states and Congress.
“While we are proud of this result, we are clear-eyed that President Trump’s attacks on voting rights and our elections show no signs of slowing down,” Bonta, a Democrat, said in a statement. “So let me be clear: we will keep fighting back every step of the way.”
Requests for comment sent to the White House and the U.S. Department of Justice were not immediately returned.
Casper’s decision landed as part of a continuing legal clash over the elections executive orders Trump signed just months after taking office for his second term. The Republican president has also signed another executive order on elections aimed at creating a national voter list and limiting mail balloting. and that directive faces multiple legal challenges.
Last fall. another federal judge in Washington. D.C. overseeing a separate challenge to the first election executive order by civil rights and Democratic Party-aligned groups blocked the government from taking steps to include the proof-of-citizenship requirement on the federal voter registration form. That judge later barred Trump’s defense secretary from requiring documentary proof of citizenship when military personnel register to vote or request ballots.
Even with those setbacks, Trump has kept pushing for a proof-of-citizenship mandate through legislation. An apparent recognition that implementing such a requirement by executive order is difficult. he is pushing the idea in the Republican-controlled Congress. The SAVE America Act has passed the House but has stalled in the Senate. and Trump has advocated for eliminating the filibuster blocking the legislation.
The president also signaled how tied he wants the issue to broader legislative negotiations. On Wednesday, he abruptly canceled the expected signing of a bipartisan housing bill, saying he would not sign legislation until Congress passes his proof of citizenship requirement for voting.
The case also sits against the backdrop of a political argument Trump and many Republican allies have been making: that voting by noncitizens is a major problem. The federal voter registration form already requires people to attest that they are U.S. citizens, and violating that is punishable as a felony that can lead to prison or deportation.
While the proof-of-citizenship fight continues to reshape the federal administration’s election plans. another courtroom battle is approaching a separate turning point. In a major voting case, the U.S. Supreme Court is due to issue an opinion soon on whether mail ballots must arrive by Election Day. That decision could quickly change the rules in 14 states that allow grace periods ranging from days to weeks if ballots are postmarked by Election Day.
Casper, nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, serves as chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
For now, her latest order closes the door on Trump’s proof-of-citizenship requirement in the way it was originally proposed—turning a temporary pause into a permanent stop—and leaving the administration to pivot again, either in court or through Congress.
Denise Casper Donald Trump proof of citizenship voting rights executive order elections separation of powers mail ballots SAVE America Act Letitia James Rob Bonta