Judge Chutkan Orders Government to Stop Sharing Noncitizen Voter Lists

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled on November 2 that the federal government must cease transmitting lists of confirmed or suspected noncitizen registered voters to states and counties. The court found that the bulk disclosure of identifiable personal information likely violates the Privacy Act because officials failed to publish a required systems of record notice and did not meet the law enforcement exception.

Chutkan concluded that no existing law authorizes the government's policy of collecting and transmitting these lists, stating, "This constitutes a violation of the Privacy Act's procedural requirements." The ruling follows a lawsuit by the League of Women Voters and other groups, who argued the policy hindered voter registration efforts before midterm elections.

The United States Department of Justice defended the operation, arguing that the process was not a final agency action and that the plaintiff organizations lacked standing to sue under the Privacy Act. Judge Chutkan rejected these claims, ordering the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal officials to stop the data transmissions.