Federal Judge Blocks DHS Door-to-Door Voter Status Checks Ahead of Election Day
A federal judge has halted DHS field operations questioning citizens about voting status, citing potential violations of the Voting Rights Act.
POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — A federal judge issued a ruling late Wednesday blocking the Department of Homeland Security from conducting door-to-door inquiries regarding the immigration and voting status of individuals.
U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin determined that these field operations likely infringe upon the Voting Rights Act. The injunction prohibits federal immigration authorities from performing election-related interviews in nine states, including California and New York, specifically targeting individuals who officials should reasonably suspect are U.S. citizens.
The court order is set to remain active until the conclusion of voting on Election Day. However, the judge granted a stay until 5 p.m. on Friday to allow the government time to pursue an appeal.
The legal challenge was brought by organizations including the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United. Judge Martinez-Olguin concluded that the DHS policy likely violates provisions of the Voting Rights Act that prohibit the intimidation, threatening, or coercion of those involved in voter mobilization or assistance.
In her written opinion, the judge clarified that the ruling does not declare investigations into unlawful voting illegal. Instead, she noted that the plaintiffs sought to prevent DHS from intimidating U.S. citizens and those aiding them in the voting process.
The court also highlighted a significant risk of error in the government’s methodology for identifying targets, which relies on a combination of commercial data and information from various government agencies.
Protect Democracy, a group involved in the litigation, expressed support for the decision. The ruling arrives as President Trump continues to emphasize efforts to combat voter fraud, despite limited evidence of widespread noncitizen voting; the Justice Department reports that only 156 individuals have faced voting-fraud charges since the start of the current administration.
Earlier this week, the Justice Department announced the arrest of several dozen green card holders in California on charges related to illegal voter registration in federal elections.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
