A Biden-appointed federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately halt key components of its noncitizen-voter investigation in nine states—just days before November 3 midterms.
The preliminary injunction targets election-related field operations and interviews when federal agents know, suspect, or reasonably should suspect a person is not a U.S. citizen. It does not declare every investigation of unlawful noncitizen voting illegal.
U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín issued the order Wednesday in California Nurses Association v. Mullin. The covered states are California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin.
The court’s order notes that Homeland Security launched its “Unlawful Voter Initiative” in August and later directed a surge of field investigations across those nine states. The judge found plaintiffs likely to succeed on a Voting Rights Act claim involving intimidation of citizens engaged in voter assistance and mobilization.
The ruling focuses on the government’s targeting process and field tactics. It states initial lists were assembled from state, local, public, and commercial data before being reviewed under tight time limits prior to some individuals being approached by investigators. The court did not rule federal officials must ignore suspected illegal voting but temporarily restricted specific operations that could sweep citizens into field interviews while the broader case proceeds.
The injunction was stayed until 5 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday to allow the administration time to appeal. Unless a higher court intervenes, restrictions remain in effect through Election Day.
Americans should not have to choose between protecting lawful voters from intimidation and protecting their ballots from dilution. A competent government should be capable of doing both. But with federal charges already on the books and midterms approaching quickly, shutting down major investigative tools before facts are fully tested is a decision every voter deserves to see.
