Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump DoJ Voter Roll Collection Policy

US District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan ruled on Friday that the Justice Department's policy of collecting states' unredacted voter rolls to check them against a federal immigration database is unlawful, delivering a legal setback to the Trump administration. The decision, issued in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, blocks a key component of the administration's push to investigate non-citizen voting ahead of the November midterm elections.

The policy had raised concerns among states and voting rights advocates about privacy and federal overreach, as it sought unredacted voter data that includes sensitive personal information. The Justice Department argued the checks were necessary to detect illegal voting, but the court found the policy exceeded legal authority. The ruling comes as President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that non-citizen voting is widespread, and as control of Congress hangs in the balance this fall.

The decision is likely to be appealed by the Justice Department, setting up a potential legal battle that could reach higher courts before the midterms. States that had resisted the data requests may now feel vindicated, while the administration's broader election integrity initiatives face fresh scrutiny. The ruling underscores the tension between federal immigration enforcement and state control over election administration, with implications for how voter data is shared and protected nationwide.