A federal judge struck down a law barring noncitizens from voting, sparking intense legal battles over congressional authority.
A Biden-appointed judge is being labeled an "activist judge" by conservative critics after ruling that the federal government's application of a law barring noncitizens from voting in elections violates the Constitution in a federal criminal case.
In a 31-page ruling, U.S. District Judge David Leibowitz of the Southern District of Florida dismissed federal charges against Chelsea Cox, a woman originally from Jamaica who voted in the 2020 presidential election, despite not being a U.S. citizen. The ruling comes as the Trump administration has intensified efforts to prevent noncitizens from voting, including through federal prosecutions and attempts to verify citizenship on state voter rolls, sparking legal battles with Democratic-led states and voting-rights groups. President Donald Trump's election integrity efforts have been driven in large part by his and his allies' belief that the 2020 election was "stolen" — an unproven claim he continues to maintain.