Federal judge blocks Trump administration from conditioning counterterrorism grants on election administration changes

U.S. District Judge Amir Ali ruled that the Trump administration exceeded its authority by requiring states to adopt specific election measures in order to receive full FEMA counterterrorism grants. The Department of Homeland Security had said it would withhold 20% of the approximately $1.1 billion in funding unless jurisdictions verified the citizenship of all registered voters and election workers, switched to hand-marked paper ballots, and conducted audits. Ali found that Congress never authorized such conditions and that they did not relate to the grant programs’ purpose. The ruling came after cities and counties in Texas, Ohio, and Tennessee sued, calling the move a gross abuse of power. Courts have repeatedly rejected the administration’s election-related actions, which are rooted in false claims of widespread voter fraud.