NEW YORK – A federal judge has blocked former President Donald Trump’s attempt to amend the federal voter registration form to include a citizenship verification requirement.

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., ruled against the Trump administration on Friday. The decision came after Democratic and civil rights organizations challenged an executive order aimed at revamping election procedures in the United States.

The judge deemed the proposed citizenship proof requirement unconstitutional, asserting that it breached the separation of powers principle. This ruling represents a setback for Trump and his supporters, who have argued that such measures are essential for ensuring that only U.S. citizens participate in elections.

In her written opinion, Kollar-Kotelly stated, “Given that our Constitution entrusts election regulation to the States and Congress, the President does not possess the authority to mandate such changes.”

She further clarified that the Constitution does not assign any direct role to the President in setting voting qualifications or in the regulation of federal election processes.

Kollar-Kotelly echoed comments she made when she granted a preliminary injunction over the issue.

The ruling grants the plaintiffs a partial summary judgment that prohibits the proof-of-citizenship requirement from going into effect. It says the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, which has been considering adding the requirement to the federal voter form, is permanently barred from taking action to do so.

A message seeking comment from the White House was not immediately returned.

The lawsuit brought by the DNC and various civil rights groups will continue to play out to allow the judge to consider other challenges to Trump’s order. That includes a requirement that all mailed ballots be received, rather than just postmarked, by Election Day.

Other lawsuits against Trump’s election executive order are ongoing.

In early April, 19 Democratic state attorneys general asked a separate federal court to reject Trump’s executive order. Washington and Oregon, where virtually all voting is done with mailed ballots, followed with their own lawsuit against the order.