U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan halted nationwide enforcement of President Trump’s executive order requiring states to provide voter lists before the Postal Service delivers mail-in ballots, marking the second major judicial setback for Trump’s election integrity initiatives in one week.

Court Cites 2020 Settlement Violation

Sullivan ruled that Trump’s order violates a 2020 settlement agreement between the Postal Service and the NAACP. That agreement established court oversight of Postal Service operations concerning election mail delivery. The judge determined the administration’s policy directly contradicts provisions requiring the Postal Service to maintain practices ensuring timely delivery of all election mail to voters.

The executive order mandated that states submit certified lists of mail-in voters and meet additional requirements before the Postal Service would transmit ballots. Sullivan wrote in his opinion that refusing to accept what the administration termed “noncompliant mailing” would prevent ballot delivery to voters in non-participating states, violating the settlement’s core protections for election mail handling.

Expanded Nationwide Injunction

Sullivan’s ruling extends beyond previous legal challenges to Trump’s order. Nearly 25 states successfully blocked implementation within their borders earlier this year. The new decision applies across all 50 states, preventing the Postal Service from enforcing any aspect of the directive. The nationwide scope significantly expands judicial restrictions on the administration’s election policies.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended the order, stating President Trump remains committed to ensuring Americans have full confidence in election administration. She emphasized the executive order lawfully protects elections and expressed confidence the administration will ultimately prevail in implementing its provisions through continued legal battles.

Second Setback In Election Policy

The decision arrives just one week after another Obama-appointed judge blocked Trump’s Executive Order 14248, which aimed to prevent noncitizens from registering to vote or participating in federal elections. That order directed creation of a federal voter registration list and imposed new mail-in voting eligibility restrictions as part of broader efforts to combat voter fraud.

The back-to-back judicial defeats represent significant obstacles to Trump’s election security agenda ahead of upcoming federal elections. Both rulings suggest courts view the administration’s initiatives as overreaching executive authority and conflicting with existing legal frameworks governing election procedures and voter access protections established through previous litigation and settlements.