Federal judge rules Trump administration's voter data collection policy unlawful

On October 9, 2026, U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan ruled that the Justice Department's policy of collecting unredacted state voter rolls and cross-checking them against the SAVE immigration database to identify and remove alleged ineligible voters was unlawful. In a 78-page decision, the judge found the policy violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the Privacy Act, and that the federal government cannot decide who gets to vote—authority rests with the states. The ruling vacated the DOJ's 'list maintenance project' and applied to voter files already obtained and those still sought through litigation. The judge noted the SAVE database's inaccuracies risked disenfranchising eligible citizens, including naturalized Americans. The decision marked a major setback for President Trump's election oversight push ahead of the November midterms, with the administration having sued most states for noncompliance and losing nearly all cases.

“The federal government cannot decide who gets to vote — authority rests with the states.” — From Judge Sparkle Sooknanan's 78-page decision vacating the DOJ's list maintenance project