A federal judge in Boston has issued a permanent injunction blocking President Donald Trump's executive order that would have required Americans to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote and mandated that mail-in ballots be received by Election Day.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise Casper ruled Wednesday that the president exceeded his constitutional authority by attempting to unilaterally impose new voting requirements. The decision converts a preliminary injunction she issued last year into a permanent ban on the policy .

Court Rejects Presidential Authority Over Elections

In her 59-page ruling, Judge Casper determined that the Constitution does not grant the president the power to oversee or regulate federal elections. She noted that while the Constitution vests the president with executive power and commands the faithful execution of laws, it provides no specific authority over election procedures .

"The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections," Judge Casper wrote in her decision .

The ruling also rejected the Trump administration's claims that the executive order was necessary to combat widespread voter fraud. Judge Casper found no evidence in the record of widespread illegal voting, discrimination, fraud, or other election malfeasance that would justify such sweeping federal intervention .

Legal Challenge Led by States

The lawsuit was originally filed in April 2025 by a coalition of Democratic state attorneys general challenging Trump's first executive order on voting . New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led the coalition, praised Wednesday's decision as a victory for states' rights and voting access.

"I am grateful the court blocked the president's unconstitutional attempt to seize control of our elections," James said in a statement .

The coalition argued that the executive order violated the Constitution's separation of powers by infringing on the authority of states and Congress to set election rules. Judge Casper agreed, finding that the administration overstepped its legal boundaries .

Policy Would Have Disenfranchised Voters

Beyond the constitutional concerns, Judge Casper found that the proof-of-citizenship requirement would have disenfranchised thousands of eligible voters. The judge noted that the Department of Justice failed to demonstrate the alleged fraud that purportedly justified the order .

The executive order would have required voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, when registering. Mail-in ballots that arrived after Election Day would have been discarded regardless of their postmark date.

The federal voter registration form already requires applicants to attest under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens. Violating this requirement is a felony offense punishable by prison time or deportation .

Broader Legal Battles Continue

Wednesday's ruling marks the latest setback for the administration's broader effort to reshape federal elections. Multiple lawsuits continue to challenge Trump's second executive order on voting, which seeks to create a national database of approved voters .

Earlier this week, another federal judge blocked an attempt to use an immigration database to check voter rolls. Courts across the country have also rejected the Department of Justice's efforts to obtain state voter rolls .

In a separate case, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., previously blocked the administration from including the proof-of-citizenship requirement on the federal voter registration form. That judge also barred the Defense Department from requiring similar documentation from military personnel registering to vote .

Legislative Efforts Stall

The administration has also pursued its voting restrictions through legislation. The SAVE America Act, which would create a proof-of-citizenship mandate for voting, has passed the House but stalled in the Senate . Trump has advocated for eliminating the filibuster to advance the bill and has threatened to withhold signing other legislation until Congress acts on his voting requirements .

Judge Casper, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, has served as chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Her ruling permanently bars enforcement of the executive order's key provisions .