Judge blocks DOJ threats against election workers with 4 days left in midterms

Federal courts have issued two rulings against the Trump administration in the final stretch of the 2026 midterm election cycle.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson issued a temporary restraining order. The order bars the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security from threatening election workers with criminal prosecution. The threats targeted staff who processed ballots for voters the administration claims are noncitizens.

Thompson found that the agencies likely violated the Voting Rights Act. She determined the actions constituted voter intimidation. The judge noted that ballots have already been issued and that Americans have begun voting. The order prohibits federal officials from coercing state and local workers into halting ballot processing based solely on ineligibility allegations.

The ruling also prevents the administration from demanding the removal of registered voters from rolls. It stops officials from refusing to issue ballots or from segregating ballots based on those same allegations. Thompson ordered the administration to notify state and local governments that the disputed letters containing these demands are blocked.

The lawsuit was brought by labor unions and civil rights groups. The Service Employees International Union and the NAACP were among the plaintiffs. Thompson wrote that the public has a paramount interest in ensuring election officials can work according to federal law. She stated that the balance of equities weighs in favor of the plaintiffs because Election Day is only a couple of days away.

Earlier on Friday, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a separate emergency request from the Justice Department. The administration had sought to require California to set aside mail-in ballots for roughly 20,000 voters identified as likely noncitizens. The appeals court rejected the move to hold those ballots while citizenship status was verified.

These decisions arrive as the administration has sought voter registration information from states. The government argued these efforts aim to prevent noncitizen voting and protect election integrity. The Justice Department has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the new rulings.