Justice Connection, Campaign Legal Center Urge Ninth Circuit to Keep DHS Voter Intimidation Program Blocked
SAN FRANCISCO — Today, Justice Connection, represented by the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, filed an amicus brief in a case seeking to block the Trump administration's effort to weaponize the powers of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to intimidate voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Last week, a federal judge temporarily blocked a harmful voter-investigation program — that included door-to-door operations by DHS — ruling that the agency cannot conduct such field operations until the election concluded. The Trump administration has since appealed this order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and is seeking to reinstate this program.
Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act protects against voter intimidation, threats and coercion, and it historically has been the federal government’s job to ensure these protections. Campaign Legal Center and Justice Connection’s brief highlights that the federal government should be protecting against voter intimidation and enforcing voter intimidation laws, not authorizing operations that clearly violate the law in the lead-up to an election.
"Federal law protects every voter's right to participate in our elections free from intimidation, including by federal agents," said Dana Paikowsky, senior legal counsel for voting rights at Campaign Legal Center. “DHS's intimidation campaign is the latest attempt by the administration to undermine our elections, but the rule of law must hold. The district court correctly recognized that this intimidation campaign risks chilling participation in the democratic process. It is incumbent upon the Ninth Circuit to do the right thing and ensure that these protections remain, so all eligible voters can cast their ballots safely and securely."
“The Department of Justice’s watchword during election time has always been noninterference,” said Stacey Young, founder and executive director of Justice Connection. “Guided by the now-decimated Public Integrity Section, DOJ and its law enforcement partners refrained from taking actions that could intimidate voters or unduly influence elections. Until now, protecting voting rights has always meant first ensuring everyone has an opportunity to vote and not sending armed immigration agents to canvas neighborhoods weeks before an election.”
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The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center advances democracy through law. We safeguard the freedom to vote, defend voters’ right to know who is spending money to influence elections, and work to ensure public trust in our elected officials.
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