Judge permanently blocks Trump’s election order over presidential powers

A federal judge in Boston permanently blocked most of President Donald Trump’s first executive order on elections on Wednesday, turning a preliminary injunction from last year into a lasting ban on key parts of the directive. U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper said the president lacks authority to oversee election rules and that the Constitution assigns that power to Congress and the states.

Casper’s ruling stopped the order’s requirement that people show documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. It also blocked provisions that would have barred mail ballots from being counted if they arrived after Election Day even when postmarked on time, required proof of citizenship from military members and U.S. citizens living abroad, and threatened states with the loss of federal money if they did not comply.

The lawsuit was filed by Democratic state attorneys general from 19 states. Casper rejected the administration’s argument that the case had been brought too early and said the Constitution does not grant the president specific powers over elections.

The executive order at the center of the case was signed on March 25, 2025. A separate federal judge in Washington, D.C., had already blocked part of the same order last fall.

Documentary proof rules would amount to a burdensome “show-your-papers” requirement that could hit voters of color and other eligible voters who do not readily have passports or similar documents. The American Civil Liberties Union called the ruling confirmation that a president cannot rewrite election law by bypassing Congress and the states.

New York Attorney General Letitia James praised the decision and will keep defending voting rights in the 2026 midterm elections. The White House and the U.S. Department of Justice had not immediately responded to requests for comment.