A US federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s plan to require documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration. US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, DC, sided with Democrats and civil rights groups who challenged the order.

The lawsuit claimed that Trump’s executive order violated the Constitution. The judge agreed and said the President overstepped his powers.

Court Says President Lacks Election Authority

Judge Kollar-Kotelly wrote, “Because our Constitution assigns responsibility for election regulation to the States and to Congress, this Court holds that the President lacks the authority to direct such changes.”

She added that the President has “no direct role” in setting voter qualifications or federal election procedures. Her ruling is a major blow to Trump and his allies, who argued the rule was needed to restore public trust in elections.

Democrats and Civil Rights Groups Win

The judge’s final order followed her earlier temporary block on the rule. The latest ruling gives the plaintiffs a partial summary judgment. It permanently bars the US Election Assistance Commission from adding a citizenship proof requirement to federal voter forms.

The Democratic National Committee filed the lawsuit. The White House has not yet responded to the ruling.

More Legal Fights Continue

Civil rights groups urged the judge to review other parts of Trump’s order, including a rule that required all mail-in ballots to be received—not just postmarked—by election day.

Other lawsuits over the order are still pending. On April 19, Democratic state attorneys general asked another court to reject Trump’s directive. The states of Washington and Oregon, where most voters cast mail ballots, also filed their own lawsuits against the order.