Federal judge: DOJ cannot request states’ voter lists for eligibility database
Comments: by Finya Swai – 10/09/26 11:13 PM ET
The Hill’s Weekend Headlines — Oct. 9-11, 2026, Current Time 0:53
A federal judge struck down on Friday the Justice Department’s nationwide effort to collect voter registration records and identify suspected non-U.S. citizens, blocking the Trump administration from continuing the program even in states that voluntarily cooperated.
U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan in Washington ruled the department exceeded its legal authority and violated federal privacy laws by requesting sensitive voter information and sharing it with other agencies to identify people’s citizenship status.
The 78-page ruling struck down the [DOJ]’s entire voter list maintenance policy, invalidating it nationwide. The decision came after multiple states similarly won challenges against the Justice Departments rule in their respective jurisdictions.
“DOJ cannot run roughshod over longstanding laws that were carefully crafted to protect the rights of American people,” Sooknanan, a Biden appointee, wrote.
The decision stems from an April lawsuit filed by voting rights group Common Cause and four voters, who accused the administration of attempting to create a “sprawling new voter surveillance and purging apparatus” ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Read more: Judge strikes down DOJ voter list collection nationwide – The HillContinue/Read Original Article: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/6140273-judge-blocks-doj-voter-rolls-program/
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