Schumer, DNC Sue To Stop Trump’s Order Regarding Illegal Immigrant Voting
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and two high-profile U.S. lawmakers have taken legal action against President Donald Trump over an executive order aimed at enforcing regulations on illegal immigrant voting and election dates.
“The Executive Order seeks to impose radical changes on how Americans register to vote, cast a ballot, and participate in our democracy—all of which threaten to disenfranchise lawful voters and none of which is legal,” states the lawsuit, filed by Democratic attorney Marc Elias in a federal court in Washington, according to The Epoch Times.
Trump’s executive order, issued on March 25, introduces several measures focused on enforcing existing laws that bar noncitizens from registering to vote or casting ballots in federal elections. The order mandates that the independent Election Assistance Commission require proof of U.S. citizenship for mail-in voter registration forms.
Additionally, it directs federal officials to work with the Department of Government Efficiency to audit voter rolls and identify any noncitizens who may already be registered. The order further instructs the U.S. attorney general to prosecute individuals who have unlawfully registered or voted.
Another key provision targets states that count mailed ballots received after Election Day, asserting that such practices violate federal law.
Moreover, the order requires the Election Assistance Commission to withhold federal funds from states that fail to comply with laws governing election dates, noncitizen voting, and voter registration.
The U.S. Constitution’s Elections Clause grants states the power to determine the time, place, and manner of elections, while also permitting Congress to override those rules when necessary.
“Outside of the Elections Clause, other provisions in the Constitution place certain requirements and limitations on the regulation of elections—but none allows the President to override the will of the States or Congress in this space,” the lawsuit claims.
The legal challenge asserts that the Election Assistance Commission operates as an independent agency outside the president’s direct authority, despite its commissioners being appointed by the president. It further argues that federal law permits individuals registering to vote in federal elections to affirm their citizenship with a signature rather than providing documentation such as a passport.
Alongside the Democratic National Committee, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) are named as plaintiffs, as reported by the outlet.
The plaintiffs seek a court ruling declaring the order unconstitutional and unlawful while preventing federal officials, including the attorney general, from enforcing its provisions.
“The Democrats continue to show their disdain for the Constitution and it continues to show in their insane objections to the President’s commonsense executive actions to require proof of U.S. citizenship in an effort to protect the integrity of American elections,“ Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman, told The Epoch Times in a statement. ”The Trump administration is standing up for free, fair, and honest elections and asking this basic question is essential to our Constitutional Republic.”
Prior to the 2016 election, Elias was instrumental in assembling the so-called “Steele dossier” on Trump. His name also appeared in a separate executive order issued by Trump, which directed officials to take action against attorneys accused of violating laws or professional regulations.
Earlier this week, multiple organizations filed a separate lawsuit in the same federal court, challenging the election order on similar legal grounds.
“The president’s executive order is an unlawful action that threatens to uproot our tried-and-tested election systems and silence potentially millions of Americans,“ Danielle Lang, senior director of voting rights at the Campaign Legal Center, said in a statement on behalf of the groups involved in the lawsuit.
“It is simply not within the president’s authority to set election rules by executive decree, especially when they would restrict access to voting in this way,” she added.