US judge orders Trump administration to halt noncitizen voting investigation

Key Points:

• A federal judge in California has ordered the Trump administration to halt investigations in nine states into whether noncitizens are registered to vote, citing reliance on error-prone data and intimidation of voter assistance groups until after the November 3 election.
• The ruling, issued by US District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, applies to California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin, and was temporarily stayed to allow the administration to appeal.
• The investigations, part of the "Unlawful Voter Initiative," have targeted naturalized citizens and used unreliable data sources, with agents rushed to assess individuals in under 12 minutes, raising concerns about errors and wrongful investigations of US citizens.
• The Department of Homeland Security defended its focus on removing noncitizen voters but stated it does not plan to investigate individuals believed to be US citizens, while plaintiffs argue the efforts have intimidated voters and chilled election participation.
• The lawsuit was brought by the California Nurses Association, National Nurses United, and the Voto Latino Foundation, following revelations about the initiative from a whistleblower report by Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Alex Padilla.