President Trump signed an executive order on March 25, 2025, directing federal agencies to require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration in federal elections. The order called for changes to the National Voter Registration Act form to require documents such as a passport, birth certificate, or REAL ID-compliant driver's license. Multiple federal courts issued temporary restraining orders blocking enforcement within 72 hours of the signing. These facts are confirmed by Fox News, NPR, CNN, the American Civil Liberties Union, and federal court filings.

Federal judges in Washington D.C., New York, and California each issued injunctions, with judges from both parties citing the Constitution's Elections Clause — which gives Congress, not the president, authority to regulate federal elections — as the primary basis. The D.C. District Court found that 'the executive branch has no authority to unilaterally impose voting eligibility requirements beyond those established by Congress.'

The ACLU and Brennan Center for Justice estimated that up to 21 million eligible U.S. citizens — including low-income Americans, the elderly, rural residents, and minorities — lack the specific documents required by the order. Proponents countered that the requirement would apply only to new registrations, not existing voters, and that citizens have ample means to obtain the required documentation.

NPR and CNN said the order was a voter-suppression measure that would disenfranchise millions of citizens. Fox News and the Daily Wire said only citizens should be permitted to vote and the requirement was modest and reasonable. Both sides agreed the courts had blocked the order pending further litigation, and that the legal battle would likely reach the Supreme Court.