A federal judge in California dismissed Trump’s DOJ’s lawsuit aimed at obtaining detailed voter information from the state’s 23 million registered voters. This ruling dealt an early setback to the Trump administration’s efforts to gather sensitive election data from states ahead of the 2026 midterms.
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter ruled in Santa Ana that the administration’s request for California’s complete statewide voter registration list was unlawful. He rejected the department’s claims that federal civil rights and voting laws gave it the right to this information. Carter characterized the request as “unprecedented and illegal.” He warned that gathering personal voter data at the federal level could discourage people from registering or voting.
According to court filings and reports, the Justice Department sought extensive personal information, including names, dates of birth, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers. California opposed the request, stating that state privacy laws limit disclosure and that the federal government cannot force the release of such data without clear legal authority.
This ruling is the first significant decision among several similar lawsuits the department has filed against Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C. Officials have framed these actions as efforts to check voter-roll maintenance and compliance with federal requirements. The Washington Post reported that the administration is pursuing voter data nationwide, and this decision could influence the outcomes of other cases in federal courts.
JUST IN: A federal judge in California – the same judge who said in 2022 that Trump had likely committed crimes in his quest to subvert the 2020 election — rules DOJ’s demand for voter data from the states is “unprecedetened and illegal” and appears designed to disenfranchise… pic.twitter.com/Tbeh0PlIh2
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 15, 2026
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber stated that the state would continue to fight for voter privacy and to protect its election administration from federal interference. “We will continue to defend California voters and California’s right to run our own elections,” Weber said, according to reports on the ruling.
Administration officials did not immediately indicate whether they would appeal but it is likely.
Trump and his allies are increasing their claims about election integrity, while federal officials are aggressively enforcing immigration laws, leading to protests and legal battles in several states. In this context, election officials in Democratic-led states argue that turning over sensitive voter records invites misuse and places residents at risk of identity theft or other problems if the data is breached.
Carter’s decision stressed that managing elections is mainly a state responsibility. He stated that the executive branch could not take control of state voter files without an act of Congress. The AP reported that the judge cautioned that the federal government’s approach could clash with constitutional limits and long-standing protections of voting rights.
The case also attracted attention due to fears that voter data shared with the Justice Department might be passed on to federal agencies. The AP reported that Democratic secretaries of state warned that such data could fall into the hands of the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies for immigration-related inquiries. Opponents claimed this could deter eligible voters from participating.
The administration’s initiative has already met resistance from several states, and more significant rulings may be on the horizon. A similar case in Oregon could soon lead to a decision that tests the administration’s legal argument and its effort to create a centralized database of voter data.
For now, the dismissal prevents the administration from accessing California’s statewide voter list through this lawsuit and it provides state election officials with a court-supported argument in what is going to be a long legal battle.
