Federal Judge Blocks Virginia Plan to Purge Noncitizens From Voter Rolls

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

The plan violated a 90-day quiet period preventing systematic changes before an election, the judge said.

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—A federal judge in Virginia has halted the commonwealth’s recent program to purge noncitizens from its voter rolls on an expedited basis.

Virginia’s program, announced on Aug. 7 by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, constituted a “clear violation” of the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA’s) prohibition on systematic attempts to clean up its voter rolls 90 days before an election, Judge Patricia Giles of the Eastern District of Virginia said during a hearing on Oct. 25.

Giles gave her order orally from the bench after a hearing on Oct. 24, during which the Justice Department and private plaintiffs urged her to issue a preliminary injunction. The order comes just 11 days before voters head to the polls in November and has raised questions about pre-election changes from both judges and state officials.

Youngkin responded by vowing to appeal Giles decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

“Let’s be clear about what just happened: only eleven days before a Presidential election, a federal judge ordered Virginia to reinstate over 1,500 individuals–who self-identified themselves as noncitizens–back onto the voter rolls,” Youngkin said on the social media platform X.

Giles’s order requires Virginia to issue guidance for counties to restore a list of individuals whose registrations had been subject to the program. During her remarks on Oct. 25, Giles said that eligible voters had been cancelled because of the program. She also raised concern that the commonwealth left no room for individualized inquiry —  raising concern, for example, that individuals may have mistakenly told the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), which supplies data for Youngkin’s program, that they weren’t citizens.

Her order expires after election day and does not prohibit Virginia from attempting systematic removals of noncitizens outside of the 90-day period outlined by federal law. Nor does it prevent Virginia from attempting to remove individuals through individualized investigations into whether they were noncitizens.

Charles Cooper, an attorney representing Virginia, urged the judge to consider the potential confusion an injunction might inflict on the commonwealth’s election administration.

By Sam Dorman

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Science Has Finally Come For Transgenderism

British biologist Richard Dawkins said “trans women are men,” calling transgender ideology a movement that undermines biological truth.

Trump is Coming for Antifa

Liberals say there is no organization called “Antifa”. Conservatives say Antifa is real and we now know how it is funded. What should we believe?

The Pentagon vs. the Free Press (or What’s Left of It)

Reporting what the government would rather not have reported is not just an essential function but a duty of a free press in a representative system.

Truth & Treason

World War II has long served as a compelling...

Is an American confusing England for Britain a problem?

The difficulty is when Americans try to engage with British politics, where they keep saying "England" rather than "Britain."

Artillery Fire at Vance’s Marine Corps Celebration Sparks Friction With Newsom

Marine officials said firing artillery at Camp Pendleton is routine and disrupting traffic on I-5 is unnecessary, but Newsom closed portions of I-5 anyway.

FBI Director Says Hunting Stand Found Near Trump’s Air Force One Exit Area

FBI Dir. Kash Patel and the Secret Service found a hunting stand overlooking an Air Force One exit area near Palm Beach Airport before Trump’s arrival.

Transgender Identification Losing Ground Among Young Americans, Report Says

A newly released report suggests transgender identification among Generation Z in America has lost momentum after peaking in 2023.

US Warns Hamas Planning Attack on Palestinian Civilians in Apparent Violation of Gaza Cease-Fire

The U.S. State Dept said it has “credible reports” that the Hamas terrorist group could violate the cease-fire with an attack on Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Army Corps of Engineers to Pause $11 Billion in Projects During Shutdown: Vought

Russ Vought, director of the White House’s OMB, has added to the growing pile of federal projects paused during the government shutdown.

Trump Signs Executive Order Putting New Restrictions on Federal Hiring

Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to restrict hiring, with exceptions for immigration, security, and political appointees.

Trump Says He Has Authorized Covert CIA Operations in Venezuela

President Trump authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela, expanding U.S. assets there to increase pressure on President Nicolás Maduro’s regime.

Trump Posthumously Awards Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Trump posthumously awarded Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the White House Rose Garden on Oct 14, Charlie's birthday.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central