March 16, 2026
NEWARK – The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, P.C., on behalf of clients NAACP, NAACP New Jersey State Conference, Salvation and Social Justice, AAPI New Jersey, Returning Citizens Support Group, Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey, Garden State Bar Association, New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association, People’s Organization for Progress and Edwin Ortiz (the “Intervenors”), filed a motion late Friday to intervene as defendants (the “Motion to Intervene”) in United States of America v. Caldwell, a lawsuit brought by the United States Department of Justice against the State of New Jersey demanding New Jersey turn over unredacted, sensitive voter registration records including names, addresses, birth dates, driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
The Intervenors argue that the government seeks to weaponize the data by identifying certain categories of voters – mainly immigrants, people of color and people with past criminal convictions – to challenge their right to vote. They argue that combining state and federal databases presents a serious risk of wrongly flagging legitimate voters who already face significant structural barriers to voting and civic life, including those who are vulnerable to unconstitutional or erroneous immigration enforcement in the current climate.
“We are intervening in this case with our partners to stop the Trump Administration’s national effort to centralize control over election administration — a responsibility the Constitution expressly assigns to the states,” said Ryan P. Haygood, President & CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. “Courts in California, Michigan and Oregon have already rejected similar lawsuits demanding unredacted voter files. We will work to ensure that New Jersey reaches the same result and that the Court hears directly from the communities whose privacy and voting rights are at stake.”
The Motion to Intervene argues that for New Jersey to turn over the voter rolls would pose significant privacy risks to communities that have historically faced racial discrimination and disproportionate surveillance by the government and law enforcement – and would likely deter people from registering to vote and erode trust in the voting process.
“We are proud to stand beside the Institute to represent our ten clients who are particularly vulnerable to harm from the federal government’s demand for the sensitive information of New Jersey’s voters,” said CJ Griffin, Partner & Director of the Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, P.C. “It is critical we stand up for the voting and privacy rights of all New Jerseyans.”
While 12 states have complied with Department of Justice’s request for voter records, most have refused. Courts in California, Michigan and Oregon have dismissed the government’s lawsuits demanding these records, and the DOJ has appealed.
The Motion to Intervene, filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, can be found here.
Quotes from clients in the Motion to Intervene are below:
“Weaponizing voter data by targeting marginalized communities is not only unconstitutional but deteriorates the integrity of our democracy in real time,” said Derrick Johnson, NAACP President and CEO. “The communities at risk already face barriers to civic participation and we will not stand by as voting rights are jeopardized by blatant federal overreach.”
“Voting is the foundation of our democracy and to demand and weaponize the personal information of New Jersey’s voters, especially the sensitive data of Black and other voters of color who have historically been disenfranchised in order to intimidate and challenge their right to vote, is a blatant attempt at voter suppression,” said Richard Smith, President, NAACP New Jersey State Conference. “We’re proud to be part of this critical effort to defend democracy and voting rights in New Jersey.”
“The Black church has long stood as a trusted anchor for communities the state has historically disenfranchised,” said Racquel Romans-Henry, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Salvation and Social Justice. “SandSJ mobilizes the Black church and directly impacted communities around the power of the Black ballot to bridge gaps and hold systems accountable. Handing voter rolls to the federal government would deepen fear and suppress civic participation where trust is already fragile. New Jersey must protect voters’ privacy and reject any action that puts our communities at risk.”
“Just as courage is the most important virtue because it secures all the others, so voting rights help secure all our other rights in a democracy,” said Amber Reed, Co-Executive Director of AAPI New Jersey. “That is why AAPI NJ is taking action today to defend our state’s nearly 600,000 Asian American and Pacific Islander voters from the DOJ’s blatant attempt at voter suppression. Over half of Asian Americans are naturalized citizens, and many of us live in mixed-status households or have names that have been inverted or changed over time – all reasons our communities are at particular risk of harm from the DOJ’s unlawful data demands and voter roll purges. We stand with our allies for a state where every citizen can cast their vote confidently and securely.”
“As an individual impacted by the criminal legal system, I have experienced firsthand the challenges of re-acclimating into the community – housing discrimination, employment discrimination and barriers to participating in the democratic process,” said Edwin Ortiz, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Returning Citizens Support Group. “For these reasons, we strongly oppose the government’s attempt to obtain the voting records of citizens like myself. Allowing this will only create additional hurdles for returning citizens who are working hard to reintegrate, rebuild their lives and fully participate in our democracy.”
“There is nothing more important in a democracy than active citizen participation, which encompasses both voter registration and casting ballots,” said Carolyn Chang, Social Justice Committee Chairwoman, Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey. “The foundation of democratic societies relies on individuals taking part in the electoral process, ensuring their voices are heard and their rights upheld. The protection of voters’ privacy is crucial to encouraging active citizen participation and preventing the disenfranchisement of voters of color naturalized citizens, and members of marginalized communities. As a naturalized citizen of the United States, the release of voter information would be deeply concerning, highlighting the importance of safeguarding such data to preserve democratic engagement.”
“The government should not be demanding the personal data of millions of New Jersey voters,” said Joel Clymer, Esq., President, Garden State Bar Association. “Releasing sensitive voter information risks intimidating voters and undermining confidence in our elections, particularly in communities that have historically faced voter suppression. The Garden State Bar Association is proud to stand with our partner organizations to protect voter privacy and defend the integrity of our democracy.”
“The Trump administration’s attempt to seize the voting rolls of this state is a blatant attack on our voting rights, privacy rights and the democratic process,” said Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress. “It is part of a multi-pronged malevolent strategy to determine the outcome of upcoming midterm and presidential elections, and reshape our government in a manner contrary to constitutional norms. We are glad to be a part of this legal effort to fight the administration in the courts and protect the rights of the people of New Jersey.”