By Mark Tanos
A federal judge struck down President Donald Trump’s attempt to require proof of citizenship for voter registration Friday, ruling the president overstepped his constitutional authority.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington permanently blocked the citizenship documentation requirement from Trump’s March 25 executive order on federal elections, Reuters reported. The Constitution grants states, not the president, power over election administration, she ruled.
The decision serves as the first final ruling against Trump’s executive order, which faced multiple legal challenges from civil rights groups. Courts had previously issued temporary blocks against the measure.
Trump’s order sought to modify the national voter registration form to require documents like passports as citizenship proof. The judge found this requirement illegal under constitutional separation of powers. (RELATED: Just Four Dems Vote To Keep Non-Citizens From Voting In US Elections)
Federal judge blocks Trump order requiring citizenship proof on federal voter registration forms https://t.co/IMePIreD6q pic.twitter.com/p0LqdDEGwB
— New York Post (@nypost) November 1, 2025
“While we celebrate this victory, we remain vigilant and will keep fighting to ensure every eligible voter can make their voice heard without interference or intimidation,” said Sophia Lin Lakin of the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented the League of Women Voters in the case. “No president can sidestep the Constitution to make it harder to vote.”
The lawsuits came from organizations including the Democratic National Committee, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the League of Women Voters Education Fund. They argued the requirement would burden Americans without current passports who would need to purchase new documents to vote.
The judge declined to block another provision barring states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day.
Trump has repeatedly challenged the U.S. electoral system and continues making false claims about his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden. Republicans have also made unsubstantiated allegations about non-citizen voting, which remains illegal and rare.
