DOJ Warns California Counties to Segregate Suspected Noncitizen Ballots Within 48 Hours

Justice Department Orders California Counties to Verify Suspected Noncitizen Ballots

The U.S. Department of Justice has ordered 57 of California’s 58 counties to collaborate with federal authorities to identify potential noncitizens on local voter rolls, threatening legal action against officials who tabulate ballots without verified citizenship, NBC News reported. The directive, delivered via letters on Friday from the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles, marks a sharp escalation in the Trump administration’s pre-midterm efforts to restrict ballot processing across heavily Democratic California.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli instructed county registrars to cross-reference lists of suspected noncitizens and segregate mail-in ballots whose citizenship status remains unconfirmed. The federal action follows a similar October 13 demand sent to Los Angeles County and California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, as well as a federal lawsuit seeking to block the counting of more than 20,000 mail-in ballots, according to reports from CNN and the Associated Press.

Federal Agencies Demand Citizenship Verification for Ballots

The letters sent to county election officials demand a commitment within 48 hours to work alongside the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. In San Bernardino County, the U.S. attorney’s office provided a list containing 1,133 names categorized as likely aliens, asking local officials to verify citizenship and immediately segregate—rather than cancel—ballots belonging to individuals whose status cannot be immediately determined.

“The legal consequences for either facilitating or ignoring federal crimes are significant,” Essayli wrote in the correspondence obtained by NBC News. “Any election official who knowingly processes the ballot of a noncitizen is opening themselves to legal jeopardy.”

The Associated Press noted that at least 18 counties across California received the Friday letters, with prosecutors requesting social security numbers, identification details, and registration copies to audit the rolls. These measures parallel recent federal crackdowns, including a statewide sweep where authorities charged 28 individuals with illegally registering to vote or lying on naturalization paperwork.

California Officials Push Back Against Federal Intervention

California leaders have strongly rejected the federal demands, characterizing the litigation and warning letters as unauthorized interference in state elections. Senator Alex Padilla criticized the administration’s legal actions in a public statement, arguing that federal officials have failed to provide credible evidence of widespread noncitizen voting and are relying on inaccurate data.

“No matter how many lawsuits they file or how many election officials they threaten, they do not have the authority to interfere,” Padilla said. “California: Your vote is your voice. Use it and let’s hold this administration accountable.”

Local administrators have similarly defended their verification protocols. Los Angeles County Clerk Dean C. Logan noted that maintaining accurate voter registration records is a fundamental responsibility, emphasizing that voter removal must rely on verifiable information rather than unconfirmed data matching.

Ninth Circuit Reviews Emergency Request to Restrict Ballots

As local officials weigh their response, the legal battle has moved to the federal appellate level. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ordered California to respond by noon Saturday to the administration’s emergency request to restrict the processing of roughly 20,000 mail-in ballots, Fox News reported. U.S. District Judge David Carter previously scheduled a hearing on the matter for Tuesday.

State legal filings indicate that more than 330,000 mail-in ballots have already been processed and counted in Los Angeles County alone. State lawyers maintain that abrupt federal intervention threatens to cause untraceable disenfranchisement, dilute the votes of U.S. citizens, and severely delay the certification of the November midterm elections.

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