The Daily Fuckup

A federal judge in Washington issued a preliminary injunction on April 24, 2025, blocking the Trump administration from enforcing the parts of its elections executive order that would have added a documentary proof-of-citizenship requirement to the federal voter-registration form and required citizenship checks in connection with some public-assistance registrations. The ruling, by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, did not take down the whole order. Other sections remain in place while the case moves forward.

The court’s order puts a hold on one of the administration’s most consequential election changes: a directive to have the Election Assistance Commission alter the national registration form so applicants would have to submit documentary proof that they are U.S. citizens. The same opinion also blocks a related provision aimed at certain federal agencies that distribute public assistance, after the judge found the challengers had shown enough to justify emergency relief while the litigation continues. Trump signed the executive order on March 25, 2025.

Kollar-Kotelly’s decision keeps the dispute focused on a basic constitutional question: who gets to set the rules for federal elections. In the opinion, she said the Constitution gives that authority to Congress and the states, not the president. Her ruling stopped the challenged provisions from taking effect now, but it left other parts of the executive order untouched, including provisions not at issue in the injunction.

The fight over proof of citizenship has long been a signature conservative election issue. Supporters describe it as a fraud-prevention measure. Critics say it risks blocking eligible voters who do not have easy access to the required paperwork. The court did not settle that policy argument for good. It only said the administration could not impose these changes immediately while the case is still being heard.

For now, the practical result is limited but important: the federal registration form will not be changed under this order yet, and the related public-assistance provision is also on hold. The broader elections overhaul remains under challenge, and the rest of it is still alive until a court says otherwise.