The ruling marks a defeat for the Trump administration, which has sought access to state voter data ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
Published April 17, 2026
A federal judge in the United States has dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit seeking access to Rhode Island’s voter data.
Friday’s decision was the latest defeat for President Donald Trump’s administration, which has sought access to voter data in dozens of states across the country.
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In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy sided with election officials and civil rights groups, writing that the Justice Department did not have the authority to “conduct the kind of fishing expeditions sought here.”
Rhode Island Secretary of State Greg Amore praised the ruling in a subsequent statement.
“The executive branch appears to be comfortable taking actions that are clearly unconstitutional and regularly interfering with states’ rights and responsibilities,” Amore wrote.
“But the power of our democratic republic, built on three co-equal branches of government, has never been clearer.”
The Justice Department has sued at least 30 states seeking voter information, saying the information is needed to ensure election security. State officials said handing over the data raises a variety of privacy concerns.
Under the U.S. Constitution, state officials administer elections. Only Congress can pass laws related to how states oversee voting.
But President Trump is seeking changes to election administration, claiming that widespread fraud has undermined the vote.
In particular, President Trump continues to claim that the 2020 election, which he lost to former President Joe Biden, was “stolen.”
No evidence has ever been submitted to support this claim.
A federal judge has rejected attempts in California, Massachusetts, Michigan and Oregon to force states to turn over their voter files to the federal government. However, at least a dozen states have actively provided or committed to providing voter information to the Trump administration.
The push to provide voter information is one of several measures that have raised concerns about how the Trump administration will approach November’s midterm elections, which will determine the composition of the U.S. Congress.
He is currently pushing Republicans to pass the so-called SAVE America Act, which would create higher documentary standards for voters to prove their citizenship when registering and voting.
Most Republicans accept President Trump’s argument that the law is needed to prevent non-citizens from registering to vote, even though studies show instances of voter fraud are seemingly rare.
Critics say the measure risks disenfranchising millions of voters, especially those who have legally changed their names, which is common in marriages in the United States.
