BALTIMORE — Today, the District Court of Maryland entered an order to permanently block a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) rule that prevented nonpartisan civic engagement groups from registering new US citizens to vote at administrative naturalization ceremonies.
The rule — which was issued without factual basis abruptly in August 2025 — has been permanently blocked following a lawsuit filed by Campaign Legal Center on behalf of the League of Women Voters (LWV) and a number of state and local Leagues.
“Participation in our democracy is one of the most meaningful aspects of American citizenship,” said Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters. “Today's ruling reaffirms the right of every American to help shape our democracy and ensures that the League can continue the nonpartisan voter education work we've done for generations as we welcome newly naturalized citizens into our ranks. This victory protects a longstanding tradition of civic engagement and will strengthen our democracy for decades to come.”
“Today’s order protects the longstanding practice of nonpartisan civic engagement groups welcoming new Americans into our democracy,” said Anna Baldwin, director of voting rights litigation at Campaign Legal Center. “USCIS’s rule was a direct attack on the constitutionally guaranteed right for these groups to participate in our political process, including the League’s First Amendment right to provide voter registration services. We will continue working alongside the League of Women Voters to ensure League members can continue to register voters at administrative naturalization ceremonies across the country.”
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots, membership-based civic engagement group that has long exercised its constitutionally protected right to educate and assist new Americans in registering to vote at administrative naturalization ceremonies. Over the past few decades, the League has registered hundreds of thousands of new US citizens to vote after naturalization ceremonies nationwide. No organization has done more voter registration at naturalization ceremonies than the League of Women Voters. Indeed, in 2024, the League registered more than 15% of all new American citizens to vote at naturalization ceremonies.
With this court victory, the League can continue its important work with new citizens at administrative naturalization ceremonies.
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