Justice Department sues California over suspected noncitizen voters

Summary

The Trump administration sued California, seeking to temporarily block the counting of mail ballots from voters it says may be noncitizens, The New York Times reports. The Guardian reports that the Justice Department gave Los Angeles County officials a password-protected thumb drive with more than 20,000 names and 48 hours to verify citizenship; Axios says the suit asks a court to prevent about 20,000 voters from having their ballots counted until their citizenship is confirmed. Al Jazeera reports that the lawsuit comes weeks before the midterm elections and follows debunked claims of noncitizens voting in various states.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   15 Oct 2026, 18:29 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that the Justice Department sued California for a court order to prevent certain ballots from being tabulated, two days after sending Los Angeles County officials a thumb drive with more than 20,000 names and giving them 48 hours to verify citizenship.

2. The New York Times

   15 Oct 2026, 19:43 UTCSource ↗

   The New York Times reports that the lawsuit seeks to temporarily block California from counting mail ballots of voters the administration claims are likely noncitizens.

3. Axios

   15 Oct 2026, 21:03 UTCSource ↗

   Axios reports that the suit targets California and two election officials and asks a court to prevent about 20,000 voters from having their ballots counted until their citizenship is confirmed.

4. Al Jazeera

   15 Oct 2026, 21:44 UTCSource ↗

   Al Jazeera reports that the suit comes weeks before the midterm elections and follows debunked claims of noncitizens voting in various states.