Judge blocks Trump administration from threatening election workers

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from threatening election workers with criminal prosecution over ballots linked to suspected noncitizens.

U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson ruled that the Justice Department and Homeland Security likely violated the Voting Rights Act by intimidating election workers, just days before the midterm elections.

Thompson's order prohibits federal officials from coercing state and local election workers to halt ballot processing based solely on allegations of ineligible voters.

The ruling also stops the administration from demanding that election officials remove voters from rolls, refuse to issue ballots, or segregate ballots based on citizenship claims.

The lawsuit was filed by labor unions and civil rights groups, including the Service Employees International Union and the NAACP, arguing that the administration's actions threaten election integrity.

Thompson emphasized that the public interest in fair elections outweighs the administration's claims, noting that ballots have already been issued and voting has begun.