Judge Permanently Blocks Trump Proof-of-Citizenship Voting Rule

A federal judge in Boston made a temporary block permanent on June 24, 2026, barring the Trump administration from enforcing a documentary proof-of-citizenship requirement for the federal mail-in voter registration form. Chief Judge Denise Casper said the challenged provisions of President Donald Trump’s March 2025 elections executive order were unconstitutional and void.

The ruling matters nationally because the federal voter-registration form is used across the country, and the order would have changed how election offices process registrations. The court also said the executive order’s citizenship requirement and related ballot-deadline provisions went beyond presidential authority over elections, which the opinion said belongs to states and Congress.

What the judge blocked

The decree permanently enjoins defendants, except the president himself, from taking any action to enforce §2(a) or from taking steps to require documentary proof of citizenship as part of the federal mail-in voter registration form. It also permanently blocks the ballot-deadline provisions for the states covered by those claims.

Why it matters for voters and states

For voters, the immediate effect is that this proof-of-citizenship requirement is not in force under this order. For election officials, it avoids a split system in which some states would have to redesign registration procedures while others would not. That is one reason the case has become a national election-administration story.

What stays unresolved

The order leaves one issue tied to §7(b) for the parties to confer on by July 10, 2026, so the broader legal fight is still active. AP also reports that the administration can appeal the ruling.

Sources

• U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts — memorandum and order
• Associated Press — national report on the permanent block
• WBUR News — Boston public-media coverage
• ABC News — national coverage of the injunction