The Daily Fuckup

A federal appeals court on July 25 kept parts of President Donald Trump’s March 31 executive order on citizenship verification and federal election mail-ballot procedures blocked in the states that sued. The First Circuit turned down the administration’s emergency bid to lift a district-court injunction, so the challenged provisions stay on hold while the case moves forward. ([ca1.uscourts.gov](https://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/opn/aci?OPINNUM=26-1774))

The order, Executive Order 14399, is titled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.” It directs federal agencies to compile and share state citizenship lists using records from agencies including the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE program, and it also tells the Postal Service to start rulemaking on proposed standards for mail-in and absentee ballots. ([whitehouse.gov](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/))

The panel did not rule on whether the order is lawful. Its action was procedural: it declined to disturb the injunction already entered by the lower court. The First Circuit’s published opinion lists the case as State of California v. Trump and shows the decision date as July 25, 2026. ([ca1.uscourts.gov](https://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/opn/aci?OPINNUM=26-1774))

The result is narrower than a nationwide shutdown. The blocked provisions remain suspended in the plaintiff jurisdictions while the litigation continues in federal court. The administration can keep pressing its arguments in the district court and in any later appeals, but for now the injunction stays in place. ([ca1.uscourts.gov](https://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/opn/aci?OPINNUM=26-1774))