Attorney General Neronha, coalition secure victory as Court strikes down Trump Administration’s Elections Executive Order
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha and a coalition of 18 attorneys general today announced that the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts granted the coalition’s motion for a permanent injunction and blocked key provisions of Executive Order No. 14248 from taking effect.
“The President does not have the constitutional power to rewrite state election laws by decree, and today’s victory permanently enjoins his Administration from implementing this attempt to restrict voting rights,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Under the guise of ‘election protection,’ this executive order aimed to restrict and dissuade Americans from voting by requiring documentary proof of citizenship, which millions of American citizens do not have, and invalidating votes legally cast by Rhode Island military members residing abroad received mere days after an election. The right to vote is foundational to our democracy and we will continue to fight to safeguard our elections from federal interference.”
Issued by President Trump on March 25, 2025, the Executive Order attempted to compel state election officials to impose documentary proof of citizenship requirements for voter registration, force states to ignore mail ballots that are cast by Election Day but received by election officials just days afterward, and withhold various streams of federal funding from the States if they fail to comply.
The coalition filed a lawsuit challenging the Executive Order in April 2025, secured a preliminary injunction blocking unlawful provisions of the Executive Order in June 2025, and successfully defeated the Trump Administration’s motion to dismiss in September 2025. The coalition filed a motion for a permanent injunction in December 2025, and the court heard oral argument in February 2026.
Joining Attorney General Neronha in this matter were the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
