A federal judge in Florida has rejected the federal government’s effort to halt the state’s controversial voter purge. The Justice Department had asked the court to stop Florida’s effort to remove thousands of registered voters from the rolls, people Florida officials say are non-U.S. citizens. Critics say 87 percent of those targeted are people of color and say the purge is part of an effort to disenfranchise Democratic voters in a key election state. A number of Florida counties had already frozen their involvement following the Justice Department’s objections, but Wednesday’s ruling could mean the purge resumes.