Key facts
- A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop threatening election officials with criminal charges over ballot processing.
- The ruling stated the actions could interfere with election administration and disenfranchise lawful voters.
- The justice department had demanded election officials set aside ballots of suspected non-citizens.
- The Trump administration also sent similar demands to Washington state.
- Civil rights groups and unions filed a complaint accusing the justice department of election interference.
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to cease threatening local and state election officials with criminal charges over their handling of ballots. The ruling, issued by Judge Trina Thompson, stated that the Department of Justice's actions were likely to interfere with election administration and disenfranchise lawful voters. The justice department had previously sent letters demanding that officials set aside ballots of registered voters suspected of being non-citizens, with the Department of Homeland Security delivering further threats of criminal charges. Civil rights groups and unions representing election workers had filed a legal complaint against the justice department for alleged interference.