Federal judge bars Trump from proof of citizenship requirement to vote

Key Points:

• A federal judge in Boston permanently blocked most of President Trump's first executive order on elections, including the requirement for documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote, citing constitutional limits on presidential power over elections.
• Judge Denise Casper ruled that states and Congress hold the authority to regulate elections, and that Trump's order violated the separation of powers, converting a previous temporary injunction into a permanent ban.
• The order also sought to disallow counting mail ballots arriving after Election Day and penalize states by withholding federal funds for noncompliance, measures now blocked by the court.
• New York Attorney General Letitia James praised the ruling as a defense of voting rights against unconstitutional attempts to control elections, while the White House and Justice Department did not comment immediately.
• Trump continues to push for a proof-of-citizenship voting requirement through legislation stalled in the Senate and has linked this demand to his refusal to sign a bipartisan housing bill, despite evidence that noncitizen voting is rare and already penalized under federal law.