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U.S. District Judge Mustafa T. Kasubhai has rejected the federal government’s attempt to compel Oregon to turn over highly personal information on its voters, saying the demand defies the law.
The federal government sought the release of full dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers contained in Oregon voter registration rolls.
However, the judge found that there is nothing in the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, or Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that requires the state to share sensitive information with the Trump administration.
In written findings released late last week, the judge cited a January 26, 2026, letter from Attorney General Pam Bondi to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
In this letter, Bondi characterizes immigration enforcement as marked by “lawlessness” and presents a set of demands, including access to Minnesota’s voter rolls to verify compliance with federal voter registration laws.
The Judge Expresses Serious Doubt on the True Purposes of the Federal Government Demands
Judge Kasubhai said Bondi’s demands in the letter about immigration enforcement cast “serious doubt” on the true purposes of her demands.
Judge Kasubhai describes the Trump administration’s actions as “chilling,” as federal officials have said they want to create a nationwide database of confidential voter information to use in “unprecedented ways,” which include immigration enforcement.
In his opinion, Judge Kasubhai says such action will lead to an “erosion of voting rights and voter participation.”
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