Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Threatening Election Workers Days Before Midterms

Just days before the November 3 midterm elections, a federal judge stepped in to stop the Trump administration from using criminal prosecution as a weapon against election workers. U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson issued a temporary restraining order on Friday, barring the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security from threatening officials who process ballots tied to suspected noncitizens.

Thompson, a judge appointed by President Biden, concluded that these threats likely violated the Voting Rights Act’s ban on voter intimidation. In an eight-page order, she wrote that a fair election requires the freedom to vote without fear or coercion. "One of the hallmarks of a fair election is the freedom to exercise the right to vote free from threat, fear, or intimidation," she stated.

The administration had been pushing for voter registration data in states ahead of the midterms, claiming the move was necessary to stop noncitizen voting and protect election integrity. But Thompson’s ruling shuts that door. Federal officials can no longer pressure state or local workers to halt ballot processing just because the government alleges a registered voter is ineligible.

The order goes further. It prohibits the administration from demanding that officials remove voters from rolls, refuse to issue ballots, or segregate or reject votes based solely on those allegations. The lawsuit was filed by a coalition of labor unions and civil rights groups, including the NAACP and the Service Employees International Union.

Time is running out. Thompson noted that ballots had already been issued and Americans had begun voting. With Election Day only a couple of days away, she argued that the public interest heavily favored the plaintiffs. "Because the public has a paramount interest in ensuring that election officials and workers are able to carry out their work in accordance with federal law and election procedure... the balance of the equities and public interest weigh in Plaintiffs' favor," she explained.

The judge also ordered the administration to notify state and local governments that the threats contained in previous letters have been legally blocked.

It wasn’t the only legal setback for the White House on Friday. Earlier in the day, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied an emergency request from the Justice Department. The administration had wanted California to set aside mail-in ballots linked to roughly 20,000 voters identified as likely noncitizens while officials verified their status. The appeals court rejected that bid, dealing another blow to the administration just four days before voting concludes.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department for comment. Jasmine Baehr and Reuters contributed to this report.