By Karim Hammam
A federal judge in California has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from threatening election workers with criminal prosecution for processing ballots, a move that thwarts last-minute attempts to discard votes before the midterm elections.
Ruling details
U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson ruled Friday night that the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security cannot demand state and local officials stop processing or set aside ballots in the administration's campaign against alleged noncitizen voters. "One of the hallmarks of a fair election is the freedom to exercise the right to vote free from threat, fear or intimidation," Thompson wrote.
Lawsuit and allegations
The order follows a lawsuit filed by unions representing election workers and civil rights groups, which accused high-ranking DOJ and DHS officials of engaging in a campaign to intimidate, threaten, and coerce election administrators in the weeks before the November midterms. The judge found the administration's actions likely to interfere with election administration and disenfranchise lawful voters.
Related court decisions
Hours earlier, a federal appeals court blocked the administration's effort to sequester 20,000 ballots in California, warning that such action would "wreak havoc" on the election. That decision marked the third consecutive loss for the administration in its attempts to challenge ballots from alleged noncitizen voters in the state.
Reactions
Patrick Moran, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, called the ruling "a resounding win for the election workers who make our democracy happen and for all Americans' freedom to vote." Election workers can now continue their jobs without fear of prosecution, he said.
