John B. Nalbandian

A federal appeals court ruled that the Department of Justice cannot access sensitive Michigan voter data, blocking President Trump’s push to obtain voter rolls for identifying noncitizen voters. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals found that requiring Michigan to share the data would conflict with federal laws like the National Voter Registration Act and Help America Vote Act. The decision sets up a potential Supreme Court battle over state control of voter information.

The Sixth Circuit Court ruled 2-1 that the federal government lacks authority under Title III of the Civil Rights Act to demand unredacted Michigan voter records, as the state created the records rather than acquiring them. The dissent argued the records should be subject to federal demand. The case arose after the U.S. attorney general sought voter data to enforce laws against non-citizen voting.

A federal appeals court ruled that the Department of Justice cannot access sensitive voter data from Michigan, blocking President Trump's effort to obtain voter rolls for a noncitizen voter investigation. The 2-1 decision in the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals could lead to a Supreme Court battle, as the court found the Civil Rights Act does not require states to provide such data, citing conflicts with other federal election laws.