This past March saw President Donald Trump sign an executive order which demanded that those registering to vote provide proof of citizenship.

Yet in a stunning move, a federal court intervened late last week to block the requirement from taking effect. 

Judge throws out proof-of-citizenship directive

According to Breitbart, U.S. District Judge Collen Kollar-Kotelly ruled this past Friday that "the proof-of-citizenship directive is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers."

🚨 BREAKING: In an infuriating move, an activist judge BLOCKS President Trump from ensuring citizenship to vote in federal elections.

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly has decided Trump CANNOT have the states require proof of citizenship for federal voter registration.

She believes… pic.twitter.com/RFVNV2EzoN

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 31, 2025

The Clinton appointee maintained that "on matters related to setting qualifications for voting and regulating federal election procedures," the Constitution grants no "direct role to the President in either domain."

"Because our Constitution assigns responsibility for election regulation to the States and to Congress, this Court holds that the President lacks the authority to direct such changes," Kollar-Kotelly went on to add.

The judge's decision came roughly half a year after she granted a preliminary injunction which had been requested by three plaintiffs.

Trump contrasted American voting rules with those of other countries

Breitbart noted how Trump's executive order, which was titled "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections," impacted the Election Assistance Commission (EAC).

Specifically, it gave the EAC a 30-day deadline to require proof of citizenship "in its national mail voter registration form issued under 52 U.S.C. 20508."

What's more, Trump used his executive order to draw an unfavorable comparison between American election safeguards and those used in other countries.

"Despite pioneering self-government, the United States now fails to enforce basic and necessary election protections employed by modern, developed nations, as well as those still developing," Trump observed.

President highlights failings by state governments

"India and Brazil, for example, are tying voter identification to a biometric database, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship," the president pointed out.

"Under the Constitution, State governments must safeguard American elections in compliance with Federal laws that protect Americans’ voting rights and guard against dilution by illegal voting, discrimination, fraud, and other forms of malfeasance and error," Trump observed.

"Yet the United States has not adequately enforced Federal election requirements that, for example, prohibit States from counting ballots received after Election Day or prohibit non-citizens from registering to vote," he went on to complain.