Trump administration told by federal judge to pause multi-state voter inquiry

A federal judge in California has directed the Trump administration to pause an inquiry into alleged voter registration by noncitizens across nine states, ruling that federal authorities relied on heavily flawed records that intimidated civic workers and legitimate voters.

US District Court Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin, based in Oakland, ordered the inquiry stopped until after polls close on 3 November. She suspended the enforcement of her decision until Friday to give the federal government an opportunity to lodge an appeal. The ruling covers operations in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin.

The legal challenge was mounted by several groups and local jurisdictions, including the California Nurses Association, National Nurses United, the Voto Latino Foundation, the city of San Francisco and Santa Clara County. The plaintiffs argued that the federal inquiry caused lawful citizens to fear unjust scrutiny and discouraged participation in voter assistance activities.

Judge Martinez-Olguin determined that the government relied on voter rolls from local authorities and third-party vendors that were sweeping and inaccurate. She noted that because no single federal database tracks the citizenship status of all US residents, reviewing eligibility under these records carries an inherently high chance of mistakes.

Court documents revealed that investigators were instructed to examine naturalized citizens to determine whether they had cast ballots prior to gaining citizenship. During an escalated phase launched in late August, dubbed the Surge, federal agents were instructed to spend no more than 12 minutes evaluating each individual's eligibility. The judge concluded that such strict time caps significantly heightened the likelihood of errors.

Martinez-Olguin also observed that because dozens of states refused Justice Department demands for unredacted voting records, the administration turned to commercial alternatives that lacked dependability. The resulting inquiries, she found, created an atmosphere of intimidation that deterred people from monitoring polling stations or taking part in political rallies.

The Department of Homeland Security defended its activities in a statement, asserting that its focus remains on preventing noncitizens from voting and diluting the rights of citizens, while denying any intention to investigate those believed to hold legal citizenship.

Attorney Beau Tremitiere, who represented the groups challenging the policy, said the decision confirmed that Homeland Security used inaccurate lists without verifying their quality before dispatching investigators ahead of the election.

Information regarding the federal program, known as the Unlawful Voter Initiative, first surfaced publicly last month when Democratic senators Chuck Schumer of New York and Alex Padilla of California publicized details from a whistleblower report.