Judge Blocks Trump Administration from Investigating Noncitizen Voter Registration in Nine States

A federal judge, Araceli Martinez-Olguin, from the Oakland district of California, has ordered that President Donald Trump’s administration must stop its investigations into the registration of noncitizens to vote in nine states. The judge found that the government’s use of data was flawed and contributed to the intimidation of organizations that provide voter assistance.

Her ruling is set to remain in effect until polls close on November 3, but it has been temporarily stayed to allow the administration to appeal. The states affected by the ruling include California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin. This decision comes amid the Trump administration’s claim of a pervasive issue with noncitizen voting, despite evidence suggesting the problem is infrequent. The lawsuit was initiated by the California Nurses Association, National Nurses United, and the Voto Latino Foundation, alongside San Francisco and Santa Clara County. A request for comment from the Department of Homeland Security did not receive an immediate response.