Federal judge declines to block Trump’s citizenship verification plan for elections
by Stephen Dinan · The Washington TimesA federal judge ruled Thursday against groups challenging President Trump’s plan to use the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Service to police voter fraud, finding that the organizations lack the legal standing to sue.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee to the court in Washington, said the injuries the groups foresee are too “speculative” right now.
Mr. Trump’s executive order, issued in March, directs Homeland Security to compile lists of valid citizens who would be 18 years of age on Election Day and transmit them to states.
It also instructed the Postal Service to come up with a process to police mail-in ballots and accept ballots only from those on Homeland Security’s approved citizenship lists.
Democratic political groups and immigrant rights organizations sued in Washington to halt the order.
Judge Nichols said the Postal Service hasn’t issued regulations to carry out the president’s order, so that matter is premature to decide.
And he said the DHS hasn’t created any lists yet and, even if it does and they are error-prone, no state is mandated to use them.
The judge said the two agencies could still come up with lists and regulations and that could change things.
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“Until then, however, plaintiffs cannot show that preliminary injunctive relief is warranted,” Judge Nichols wrote.
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Stephen Dinan
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