Obama-appointed judge blocks Trump’s election order as SAVE America Act fight intensifies

June 25, 2026 1:54pm EDT / Fox News

A coalition of 23 states led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta challenged the March executive order

By Ashley J. DiMella Fox News

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An Obama-appointed judge blocked President Donald Trump’s effort to curb noncitizens from registering to vote or voting in federal elections.

“President Trump is committed to ensuring that Americans have full confidence in the administration of our elections. The President’s executive order lawfully protects our elections, and we are confident that we will ultimately prevail in its implementation,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital.

The lawsuit centers on President Trump’s March executive order, Executive Order (EO) 14248, which directed the creation of a federal voter registration list and imposed new restrictions on eligibility for voting by mail as part of the administration’s broader effort to combat voter fraud.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ruled Thursday that the president does not have the power to set election rules because only Congress and the states have that authority. Talwani has served on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts since 2014, after then-President Barack Obama appointed her to the bench.

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“President Trump has also urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act and other legislative proposals that would establish a uniform standard of photo ID for voting, prohibit no-excuse mail-in voting, and end the practice of ballot harvesting to secure our elections for generations to come.”(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The lawsuit also comes after Trump recently threatened to withhold support for the bipartisan 21st Century Housing Act in an effort to pressure Congress to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.

“President Trump has also urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act and other legislative proposals that would establish a uniform standard of photo ID for voting, prohibit no-excuse mail-in voting, and end the practice of ballot harvesting to secure our elections for generations to come,” Jackson added.

Trump’s EO ordered a federal voting registration list and directed the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail-in ballots only to individuals on said list.

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An official ballot drop box is set up outside City Hall in San Francisco, California, during early voting for the California primary election on May 26, 2026.(Jason Henry/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Talwani’s ruling prevents the administration from enforcing those provisions ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

The lawsuits were brought by a coalition of states led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, joined by 22 other states and the District of Columbia as well as voting rights organizations.

The decision found that Trump exceeded his authority by trying to change election rules through executive action, writing that the Constitution gives that power to Congress and the states, not the White House.

Voting booths are set up in California for the election process.(Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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The ruling follows a decision Tuesday that struck down parts of President Donald Trump’s March election integrity executive order titled, “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.”

Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper found that the order went beyond enforcing existing law and instead attempted to create or change election rules on its own.

The decision blocks the administration from requiring documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration, changing voting rules for military and overseas voters, or withholding election funding from states that reject certain election rules, including counting ballots received after Election Day.

Trump abruptly canceled the signing of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on Wednesday and issued an ultimatum demanding passage of the SAVE Act.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act includes Trump’s long-sought voter ID and citizenship verification requirements ahead of the midterm elections.

Fox News Digital’s Elaine Mallon contributed to this report.

Ashley J. DiMella reports on politics for Fox News Digital.

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