Trump administration sues California to block counting of 20,000 alleged noncitizen ballots

The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against California on Oct. 15, asking a federal court to immediately bar the state from counting ballots from approximately 20,000 voters whom the administration alleges are “likely noncitizens.” The legal action comes just three weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, during which California voters have already begun casting mail-in ballots.

Federal Allegations and Legal Demands

According to the lawsuit, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services conducted a “multiagency and multilevel review” of state voter and federal citizenship data. The agency determined with “high confidence” that around 20,000 “likely noncitizens” are registered to vote in the state. The lawsuit states that these individuals have been sent vote-by-mail ballots, with many addresses listed in Los Angeles County.

The filing argues that “California is thus knowingly imposing an obstacle on the United States’ ability to enforce [federal election law] by facilitating unlawful voting rather than working with the Federal Government to prevent it.” The Justice Department seeks an injunction to prevent the state from counting these ballots “until those individuals’ citizenship status can be verified.”

U.S. Atty. Gen. Todd Blanche defended the action in a statement. “State-facilitated voter fraud is unacceptable in the United States of America,” Blanche said. “If found responsible in a court of law, the State of California will have seriously undermined confidence in our electoral system and violated laws that protect our nation’s representative system of government.”

State Officials Reject Claims as Unsubstantiated

California officials strongly rejected the federal government’s assertions, labeling the lawsuit “meritless” and criticizing the timing and reliability of the federal data. Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote on X that the move was a “sad, desperate attempt by Trump to use his politicized Justice Department to try to suppress California voters just three weeks before Election Day.”

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta stated, “Every count, recount, hand count, lawsuit, and audit has found that there’s no widespread voter fraud in the U.S.” He added that the administration’s demands were “meritless” and that the state would defend its election processes in court.

Secretary of State Shirley Weber noted that the federal government had previously alleged that more than 190,000 noncitizens were registered in California, a figure that dropped to 20,000 in the current lawsuit. Weber wrote that the federal government failed to clarify the basis for suspecting the listed individuals are non-citizens. She cited a recent court case noting that federal citizenship records are “known to be unreliable.”

Dispute Over Data and Methodology

The conflict escalated after Acting Deputy Atty. Gen. Trent McCotter sent letters to Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan, giving them 48 hours to set aside the ballots for investigation. Logan stated that his office received a password-protected thumb drive with the list, but the password was provided on a “sticky note,” which he did not consider secure. Logan said the Justice Department “has not provided the underlying evidence, source, or methodology supporting its assertions.”

Weber highlighted a similar incident in Nevada, where the Department of Homeland Security initially alleged nearly 16,000 potential non-citizens on voter rolls but “failed to establish that a single non-citizen was on the voter rolls” after working with the state. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for clarification on how the estimate dropped from 190,000 to 20,000.

Why it matters

This lawsuit represents a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to intervene in state-run elections, challenging the traditional separation between federal enforcement and state election administration. The case raises critical questions about the reliability of federal citizenship data and the legal standards for disenfranchising voters close to an election. With the midterms approaching, the outcome could set a precedent for federal authority over state ballot counting processes and impact voter confidence nationwide.

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Sources

• latimes.com: Justice Dept. sues California, seeks to stop state from counting 20,000 ballots - Los Angeles Times
• newschannel5.com: Trump administration sues California over alleged noncitizen mail-in ballots
• tippinsights.com: DOJ Sues California Over 20,000 Voters Allegedly Likely To Be Noncitizens

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.