By Hank Russell
In what she called a victory for voting rights, Attorney General Letitia James announced that she has won two recent court decisions against the Trump administration over voter identification and mail-in voting.
On April 3, James joined 22 attorneys general and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order setting up restrictions for mail-in voting and registration lists. The lawsuit stated that the order violates the United States Constitution and federal law by attempting to seize control of elections from the states and Congress.
On June 25, U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani of the District of Massachusetts sided with the AGs and Shapiro. “The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,” said Talwani, who was appointed by then-President Barack Obama.
James noted that the court also prohibited federal agencies from taking any action to enforce the unconstitutional restrictions, including withholding mail-in ballots from states, attempting to control state voter rolls, or investigating or prosecuting state election officials.
“This right to vote is the foundation of our democracy, and today’s decision protects that foundation from another unlawful attack,” James said. “This executive order would have caused chaos for states, election officials, and voters across the country. It has no place in our nation.”
James reiterated Talwani’s remarks, saying that Trump “does not have the power to take over state elections or invent new voting restrictions by executive order. My office is committed to ensuring safe and democratic elections for all New Yorkers, and I will always protect the sacred right to vote.”
This was the second victory for the AG’s office. On June 24, James and a group of 18 attorneys general won a case in a federal Massachusetts court challenging Trump’s March 2025 executive order mandating that individuals must present documentary proof of citizenship before registering to vote. James and the coalition of AGs filed the lawsuit a month later, claiming that Trump’s attempt to have the federal government have control over the elections was unlawful. U.S. District Judge Denise Casper, another Obama appointee, ruled in favor of James and the AGs.
“Generations of Americans fought tirelessly for the right to vote, and we honor their legacy by protecting that right against anyone who tries to undermine it,” James said. “I am grateful the court blocked the president’s unconstitutional attempt to seize control of our elections. As we approach this year’s midterms, I will continue doing everything in my power to protect free and fair elections and defend the sacred right to vote for New Yorkers and all Americans.”
Long Island Life & Politics reached out to the Trump administration for comment.
“President Trump is committed to ensuring that Americans have full confidence in the administration of our elections,” said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson. “The President’s executive [orders] lawfully [protect] our elections, and we are confident that we will ultimately prevail in [their] implementation. President Trump has also urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act and other legislative proposals that would establish a uniform standard of photo ID for voting, prohibit no-excuse mail-in voting, and end the practice of ballot harvesting to secure our elections for generations to come.”