US midterms 2026: Judge blocks Trump admin from threatening election workers over voter data demands

US President Donald Trump A US federal judge has barred the Justice Department from threatening state and local election officials with prosecution for refusing to follow the Trump administration's demands over voters suspected of being non-citizens.US District Judge Trina Thompson issued the temporary restraining order on Friday, ruling that the administration could not use its list of alleged non-citizen voters to direct local officials to change how they administer elections.The order prevents the federal government from demanding that election officials remove voters from state registration lists, reject ballots from specific voters or separate ballots cast in the midterm elections on the basis of the administration's list.Thompson said the Justice Department had overstepped by threatening prosecution against officials who did not cooperate with its election-related initiatives. The ruling followed a lawsuit filed by election workers' unions and other groups."The balance of the equities and public interest weigh in Plaintiffs' favor," Thompson wrote, citing the need for election officials and workers to perform their duties under federal law and established election procedures....