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President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on citizenship verification and integrity in federal elections on Monday, March 31, prompting significant blowback from Democrats.
Connecticut Senate Democrat leaders Martin Looney and Bob Duff immediately condemned the "cynical and cavalier" move by the executive branch as nothing more than a "federal power grab."
Later that same day, Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas issued a campaign email saying she "hadn't even had a chance to read it all" but pointed out that it included "an attempt to create a national registry and restrict who can vote by absentee (or mail-in) ballot."
Remember, Trump is trying to stop non-citizens from voting.
State Rep. Matt Blumenthal, House Chairman of the Government, Administrative and Election Committee, issued a statement the day after Trump's announcement.
He called Trump's Order "deranged," said the Order wasn't "worth the paper it's printed on" and insisted the mandates in the Order were "profoundly stupid."
It's not a surprise that Attorney General William Tong and a coalition of 23 AGs and one governor issued a legal challenge by the end of the week, on Friday, April 3rd.
“The Constitution plainly forbids the President from commandeering elections to manipulate and micromanage how we vote. This executive order is an illegal attempt to disenfranchise millions of voters and fundamentally alter how Americans vote. We are coordinating closely with states across the country and we are suing to protect our democracy,” said Tong.
President Trump's Executive Order reaffirms that the right to vote in federal elections is reserved exclusively for U.S. citizens, as required by the Constitution and federal law (with criminal penalties for non-citizen voting).
It also strengthens election integrity by preventing non-citizens from voting and improving safeguards against fraud, particularly in mail-in and absentee ballots.
A "State Citizenship List" would be crafted by the federal government to help states verify voter rolls and ensure only eligible citizens are registered/able to vote in federal election.
Mail-in and absentee ballot reforms, such as secure ballot envelopes, unique barcodes for tracking and citizenship requirements are outlined, and the U.S. Postal Service is directed to transmit ballots only to those on the list to reduce risks of ballots going to ineligible individuals and improve chain-of-custody tracking.
The AGs argue that the Order would require states to "act contrary to their own voter roll procedures, vote-by-mail systems, and voter registration laws."
In their lawsuit, the coalition argues, "the U.S. Constitution gives states the primary authority to administer elections. In contrast, the Constitution does not allow the President to unilaterally impose changes to federal election procedures, particularly without an act of Congress permitting him to do so."
The attorneys general further argue the President’s Executive Order would require states to "upend their existing election administration procedures for upcoming elections and conduct statewide voter education at a dangerously quick pace – potentially within weeks of primary elections and mere months before the beginning of mail voting for the 2026 general election."
The coalition argues "such drastic and rapid changes will undoubtedly create confusion, chaos, and distrust in state election systems, all while threatening to disenfranchise eligible voters."
The attorneys general allege the President’s Executive Order "violates the separation of powers and unlawfully interferes with states’ mail voting programs" and are asking the court to prevent the federal government from implementing or enforcing the Executive Order.
The election lawsuit wasn't the only lawfare Tong initiated this week.
It was a two-fer this week, with Tong also joining a coalition of states and local governments in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s repeal of the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule.
The MATS Rule implements nationwide standards that limit emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants. In 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated the standards for emissions of air pollutants from power plants, but the Trump administration rolled back the updated standard last month.
The Trump EPA maintained that it was still enforcing the core 2012 MATS requirements and that the changes would not compromise public health while saving costs for power plants and supporting American energy production.
The EPA is expected to defend the action as a lawful exercise of discretion to prioritize energy needs and avoid over-regulation.
The Tong coalition argues the rollback lacks a reasoned basis, fails to account for updated control technologies, and will increase cross-state pollution harming their residents.
“Again and again, Trump is selling out our health and environment to enrich his fossil fuel friends. Big Oil knows how to limit these toxic pollutants. It’s not hard or particularly costly. Trump just doesn’t care. We’re suing today to protect Connecticut families from lifelong developmental harm and disease,” said Tong.
The Tong coalition seeks to have the repeal vacated.
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