Original Date Announced

President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14248, "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections," in order "to safeguard American elections in compliance with Federal laws."

• § 2 - Enforcing Citizenship Requirements for Federal Elections: Requires the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to require proof of citizenship in its national mail-voter registration form; directs the DOS and DHS to provide election officials access to federal citizenship verification databases; instructs DHS and DOGE to compare state voter registration records with federal immigration databases; requires DHS to provide the Attorney General with information on foreign nationals who have indicated on immigration forms that they registered or voted in federal, state, or local elections; and prioritizes enforcement actions against noncitizens who unlawfully register to vote.
• § 3 - Providing Other Assistance to States Verifying Eligibility: Directs federal agencies to provide states access to Social Security and other federal databases to verify voter eligibility; requires enforcement of federal voter-roll maintenance requirements; and adds citizenship and voter eligibility documentation requirements for certain absentee voters.
• § 4 - Improving the Election Assistance Commission: Directs the EAC to condition certain federal election funding on compliance with federal election laws; directs the EAC to issue guidance establishing standards for voting systems; and refers compliance issues to the DOJ.
• § 5 - Prosecuting Election Crimes: Directs the Attorney General to enter into information-sharing agreements with state officials to provide the DOJ with information on suspected violations of state and federal election laws.
• § 6 - Improving Security of Voting Systems: Directs DHS and DOJ to take steps to prevent noncitizens from being involved in the administration of federal elections; and directs DHS to review and report on the security of electronic systems used in the voter registration and voting process
• § 7 - Compliance with Federal Law Setting the National Election Day: Directs the Attorney General to enforce federal laws governing Election Day deadlines; and directs the EAC to condition certain funding on state adoption of standards defining what constitutes a vote and what will be counted as a vote.
• § 8 - Preventing Foreign Interference and Unlawful Use of Federal Funds: Prioritizes enforcement of laws prohibiting foreign nationals from making election-related contributions and directs enforcement of restrictions on lobbying activities funded with federal money.

Trump 2.0 [ID #2299]

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.02.26 Complaint - United States v. Caldwell

The United States filed suit to compel the state of New Jersey to provide unredacted copies of the state’s voter files under Title III of the Civil Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Help America Vote Act. The requested data includes the name, date of birth, address, and driver’s license number or partial Social Security number of all registered voters in the state. The United States had submitted multiple letters to New Jersey, which declined to comply with the federal government’s request. United States v. Caldwell, No. 3:26-cv-02025 (D.N.J.).

**Link to case here. Our litigation entries generally report only the initial complaint and any major substantive filings or decisions. For additional information, CourtListener provides access to PACER and all available pleadings. Other sites that track litigation in more detail or organize cases by topic include Civil Rights Clearinghouse, Justice Action Center, National Immigration Litigation Alliance, and Just Security**

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.07.17 Press Release - DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Sends Letter to Secretaries of State Warning About Non-Citizens on Voter Rolls

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced that DHS sent letters to Secretaries of State in California, New Jersey, Nevada, and Pennsylvania warning that preliminary reviews identified more than 250,000 potential noncitizens registered to vote in those states. DHS reported possible noncitizen registrations of 190,832 in California; 35,152 in New Jersey; 15,903 in Nevada; and 14,576 in Pennsylvania, and requested state cooperation to review records and address the registrations. The announcement also highlighted additional election-related actions DHS is taking, including requiring FEMA grant recipients to take election-integrity measures and a new ICE directive to enforce stricter deportation penalties for non-citizens who vote.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.07.29 Opinion - United States v. Caldwell

District Judge Zahid Quraishi granted New Jersey's motion to dismiss, rejecting the DOJ's attempt to compel access to the state's voter registration information. The court held that Title III of the Civil Rights Act applies only to records "which come into" election officers' "possession," and does not extend to the state's computerized voter registration list—a document that the state itself created. The court further noted that while New Jersey disclosed a state system error that mistakenly registered approximately 6,600 noncitizens, that error is not relevant to whether the federal government is entitled to voter data. United States v. Caldwell, No. 3:26-cv-02025 (D.N.J.).

**Link to case here. See litigation note above**