Federal Judge Halts Citizenship-Based Voter Purge in Virginia

A U.S. federal judge blocked Virginia from removing non-citizens from voter rolls, citing illegal purging regulations before elections. Virginia plans to appeal, potentially to the Supreme Court. The ruling comes ahead of crucial elections where Trump and Harris are candidates. Citizenship verification policies remain contentious.

A U.S. federal judge has intervened to block Virginia from purging individuals it claims have not proven their citizenship from the state's voter rolls. The judge cited a federal ban on removing large numbers of voters within 90 days of an election.

The ruling demands that Virginia restore the voting eligibility of those affected, coming just weeks before the upcoming election featuring candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Governor Glenn Youngkin has vowed to appeal the decision, mentioning a potential escalation to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.

This legal dispute arose after Youngkin signed an executive order urging daily updates to the voter list, including removing those unable to verify citizenship. The Justice Department argued this led to unjust voter registration cancellations. Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles identified a breach of federal law designed to protect voters' rights during critical pre-election periods.

(With inputs from agencies.)