'President has no power to do any of this': Trump faces fresh legal trouble as 19 US states sue him

The recently signed executive order of the US President Donald Trump in a bid to revamp elections in the country is facing fresh legal troubles. Nineteen states have sued President Trump's sweeping executive order on voting that he signed last week.

The states said the order is "an unconstitutional attempt to seize control of elections" that will create barriers to voting that could disenfranchise millions, according to NPR.

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19 states sue Trump

The lawsuit is the fourth against the executive order issued just a week ago. The executive order demanded individuals to provide documentary proof of citizenship while registering to vote and required all mail-in ballots to be received by the election day. These measures, the lawsuit contended, breach upon states’ constitutional right to regulate their own elections. It also directs states to work with federal agencies to share voter lists and prosecute election crimes and face funding cuts if they fail to do so.

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“The President has no power to do any of this,” the state attorneys general wrote in court documents. “The Elections EO is unconstitutional, antidemocratic, and un-American.”

Trump's order said the US has filed "to enforce basic and necessary election protection.” However, election officials have said recent election in the US have been the most secure in the history of the country. There has been no indication of any widespread fraud, including when Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.

The 19 states have filed the lawsuit in US District Court in Massachusetts. The states include - Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

The order reflects Trump’s long-running criticism of the U.S. electoral system. Following his 2016 victory, he falsely asserted that his popular vote count would have been significantly higher were it not for “millions of illegal votes.” After losing in 2020, he again made unfounded claims, alleging the election was “rigged” and marred by widespread voter fraud and tampering with voting machines.

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'We are a democracy'

Trump asserted that his executive order would help prevent illegal voting by noncitizens, despite numerous studies indicating such instances are extremely rare. The order has garnered support from Republican election officials in several states, who argue it could aid in reducing voter fraud and improve access to federal data for maintaining accurate voter rolls.

However, critics caution that the order may result in widespread voter disenfranchisement, particularly as many states accept mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day and allow voters to correct minor ballot errors. The order also threatens to withhold federal funding from states that do not comply—an action Democratic officials contend exceeds the limits of presidential authority.

"We are a democracy — not a monarchy — and this Executive Order is an authoritarian power grab. With this Order, this President is prioritizing his own quest for unchecked power above the rights and will of the public," said New York Attorney General Letitia James in an emailed statement.

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Aaron Ford, attorney general of Nevada, one of the lead states in the suit, along with Massachusetts and California, said in an emailed statement: "The Trump administration tried to illegally seize power from the states and Congress by interfering in elections."

White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields, in a media statement after Monday's lawsuit was filed, said the Trump administration "is standing up for free, fair, and honest elections and asking this basic question [about citizenship] is essential to our Constitutional Republic." Fields accused Democrats of showing "disdain for the Constitution."

The Justice Department said in an emailed statement Tuesday: "The Department of Justice has vigorously defended President Trump's executive actions, including the order to Preserve and Protect the Integrity of American Elections, and will continue to do so."

(With agency inputs)