Politics · United States · 23 mins ago
Democrats sue Trump administration over voter-roll pressure
Democratic leaders and election groups filed a lawsuit against President Trump and the Justice Department on Tuesday.
They filed it in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The case seeks to block federal officials from pressuring states to remove voters from their voter rolls.
It comes ahead of the November midterm elections.
Voter rolls are state-maintained lists of people registered to vote, so changes to them can affect who is able to vote.
The lawsuit asks the court to decide whether to stop the pressure.
A federal judge limited some Department of Homeland Security investigations into suspected noncitizen voting, citing flawed data that could include US citizens.
The order covers nine states and is due to take effect Friday afternoon, lasting until after the midterm elections.
Democratic leaders and election groups filed a separate lawsuit seeking to stop federal officials from pressuring states to remove voters from their rolls.
The groups say the administration’s actions risk intimidating eligible voters ahead of the November midterms.
- Who
- Democratic leaders and election groups sued President Trump and the Justice Department. A federal judge separately issued an order limiting some DHS investigative actions.
- What
- The lawsuit seeks to block federal pressure on states to remove voters from their rolls. The judge restricted certain DHS field investigations into suspected noncitizen voting.
- When
- The lawsuit was filed Tuesday. The judge issued the order Wednesday, and it is due to take effect Friday afternoon.
- Where
- The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The judge’s order covers California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin.
- Why
- The groups seek to prevent voter-roll removals and voter intimidation. The judge said DHS relied on flawed and incomplete data that could include US citizens.
Voting rights groups and election advocates
Trump administration and federal officials
Voter investigations
Voting rights groups and election advocates
The groups say the actions risk intimidating eligible voters and relying on faulty lists.
Trump administration and federal officials
The administration’s stated interest, as described by the judge, is combating unlawful voting by non-US citizens.
Voter-roll pressure
Voting rights groups and election advocates
The groups seek to stop federal officials from pressuring states to remove voters from their rolls.
Trump administration and federal officials
The lawsuit accuses the administration of applying pressure; the articles do not provide a response from the administration.
Democratic leaders and election groups filed a lawsuit against President Trump and the Justice Department.
Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín issued an order limiting certain DHS investigations into suspected noncitizen voting.
The judge’s order is due to take effect, after giving the administration time to appeal.
- Lawsuit filing
- 44-page complaint
- Court
- US District Court for the District of Columbia
- States covered by judge’s order
- 9
- Order’s duration
- Until after the midterm elections
- States covered
- California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin
3 sources
What people are saying
is widely known to inadvertently include U.S. citizens
leaves citizens afraid that their name will be wrongly included in the hundreds of thousands identified for investigation
The public’s interest in safe elections, free from interference or intimidation, far exceed Defendants’ purported interest in combating unlawful voting by non-U.S. citizens
This order is a serious protection: the current policy targets known naturalized citizens