Federal Judge Araceli Martinez‑Olguin ruled on Friday that DHS officials cannot conduct door‑to‑door voter‑status inquiries in nine states, including California and New York, a stay that lasts until Election Day. No more door‑to‑door. The order, which blocks field operations that target people DHS suspects to be U.S. citizens, is a direct challenge to the agency's broader voting‑rights enforcement strategy.
The ruling comes amid the DHS's "Operation Protect the Vote," which recently arrested 11 foreign nationals in California and charged 28 others, all of whom are lawful permanent residents yet ineligible to vote.
DHS said it remains "laser focused on identifying, prosecuting, and removing aliens who vote" but affirmed it will not investigate those it believes to be U.S. citizens.
Plaintiffs, the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United, argue that the agency's tactics intimidate voters. DHS may appeal the ruling before the judge's stay ends at 5 p.m. Friday.
The court's order will stand until the polls close, putting the agency in a tight window to defend its methods in a federal court.