A federal judge in Boston on Wednesday issued a permanent injunction blocking key parts of President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought, among other changes, to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration using the federal form. The Justice Department is expected to appeal.
U.S. District Judge Denise Casper in Boston on Wednesday issued an order that made permanent much of an earlier injunction she had imposed against parts of President Donald Trump’s first election-related executive order, including a provision aimed at requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration using the federal form.
Casper said the Constitution does not give the president “any specific powers over elections,” and concluded that the order’s directives intruded on authority held by states and Congress, raising separation-of-powers concerns.
The White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller criticized the decision, saying he hoped the Chief Justice “understands the path these rogue judges have charted for the judiciary.”
According to reporting on the executive order, Trump signed it in March 2025. The directive also sought to require that ballots be received by Election Day and threatened to withhold certain federal funding from states that did not comply.
The ruling came as Trump’s broader elections agenda continued to collide with Congress. Hours earlier, Trump canceled a planned Capitol Hill event tied to bipartisan housing legislation, saying he would not proceed until lawmakers passed an elections bill known as the SAVE America Act.
