A US federal judge has issued an order requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to immediately halt operations aimed at identifying non-citizen voters across nine states ahead of upcoming midterm elections. The ruling marks a significant judicial pushback against aggressive federal tactics that critics argue are designed to intimidate voters.

According to the ruling by US District Court Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin, the investigations allegedly relied on deeply flawed data and likely violated provisions of the Voting Rights Act prohibiting voter intimidation. The judge emphasized that sending armed agents to people's homes creates an objectively reasonable fear of law enforcement entanglements, discouraging citizens from participating in the electoral process.

The injunction applies to federal efforts targeting California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin. While the US regime maintains that its operations were supposedly aimed at preserving electoral integrity, civil rights organizations and legal experts argue the initiative was a politically motivated attempt to suppress voter turnout and spread fear among minority communities.

Source: www.aljazeera.com