DOJ Sues California to Set Aside 20,000+ Ballots It Calls Noncitizen

How many more are there?

Right after a noon federal deadline passed Thursday, the Justice Department sued California to make it set aside mail ballots from more than 20,000 registrants DHS calls likely noncitizens. It is the mirror image of slot 7: within a day of losing on federal agents’ IDs, Sacramento is again insisting the feds keep out of its business, this time on ballot verification. United States v. California, Weber and Logan:

Given the time sensitivity of the impending election, the Federal Government asked California to conduct its review by today at noon. Then: California failed to do so. It says the L.A. County registrar instead announced that its office rejected an encrypted thumb drive from a federal agent that identified likely noncitizen voters. The ask: This Court should enjoin California from presently tabulating vote-by-mail ballots from likely noncitizens in the upcoming federal election until the voter’s citizenship status can be determined. (Complaint.)

The Trump administration sued California election officials Thursday, asking a judge to bar the state from counting mail-in ballots for next month’s midterm elections from people the federal government has identified as “likely” noncitizens until their status can be confirmed.

DOJ release: Attorney General Todd Blanche: “State-facilitated voter fraud is unacceptable in the United States of America.” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli: “California election officials were given an opportunity to remove noncitizens from their voter rolls and to sequester ballots returned from suspected ineligible voters. They refused.” (DOJ.)

DOJ to California: Review voter rolls, or else

By: Brett Stover, Fox5 San Diego, Oct 14, 2026:

In letters sent Tuesday, Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter asked state and local officials to review a list of registered voters the federal government believes are “likely noncitizens who were sent a vote-by-mail ballot” earlier this month.

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McCotter sent letters to at least two people: one to Secretary of State Shirley Weber and another to Dean Logan, registrar-recorder and clerk of Los Angeles County. He asked both to look over the list by noon Thursday and determine each voter’s citizenship status.

“For individuals whom you cannot independently confirm citizenship status, we request that you immediately instruct the appropriate elections officials to segregate — not cancel — those individuals’ vote-by-mail ballots until their citizenship status can be determined,” McCotter wrote.

Counties began mailing ballots to voters last week. In California, all registered voters are automatically mailed ballots.

Weber and Logan did not respond to FOX40’s requests for comment. Neither did other state leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose office directed questions to Weber, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Although the letters specifically mention L.A., the Justice Department believes the issues affect counties statewide.