SouthernWorldwide.com – A federal judge appointed by former President Barack Obama has halted President Donald Trump’s directive aimed at preventing noncitizens from registering or voting in federal elections.
This legal challenge stems from President Trump’s executive order issued in March, Executive Order (EO) 14248. This order mandated the creation of a federal voter registration list and introduced new restrictions on mail-in voting eligibility, as part of a broader administration initiative to combat voter fraud.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani declared on Thursday that the President lacks the authority to establish election rules. She emphasized that such power rests solely with Congress and individual states. Judge Talwani has been serving on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts since 2014, having been appointed by then-President Barack Obama.
This legal action follows recent threats from President Trump to withhold support for the bipartisan 21st Century Housing Act. The President’s intention was to pressure Congress into passing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
Jackson, a representative, stated that President Trump has urged Congress to enact the SAVE America Act and other legislative proposals. These proposals aim to establish a uniform photo ID requirement for voting, ban mail-in voting without an excuse, and end ballot harvesting. The goal is to secure elections for future generations.
President Trump’s executive order also instructed the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail-in ballots exclusively to individuals on the newly created federal voter registration list.
Judge Talwani’s ruling effectively prevents the administration from enforcing these specific provisions in the lead-up to the midterm elections scheduled for November 3rd.
The lawsuits were initiated by a coalition of states, spearheaded by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. This group was joined by 22 other states and the District of Columbia, along with various voting rights organizations.
The court’s decision concluded that Trump had overstepped his authority by attempting to alter election rules through executive action. The ruling reiterated that the U.S. Constitution grants this power to Congress and the states, not the executive branch.
This ruling comes shortly after another decision on Tuesday that invalidated portions of President Donald Trump’s election integrity executive order from March. This order was titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.”
U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper, also an Obama appointee, determined that the executive order went beyond enforcing existing laws. Instead, she found it attempted to create or modify election rules independently.
The previous decision blocks the administration from mandating documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration. It also prevents changes to voting rules for military and overseas voters, and from withholding election funding from states that do not comply with certain election rules, including those related to counting ballots received after Election Day.
President Trump abruptly canceled the signing ceremony for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on Wednesday. He issued an ultimatum, demanding the passage of the SAVE Act.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act incorporates President Trump’s long-standing demands for voter ID and citizenship verification requirements prior to the midterm elections.
