The letter, sent on Tuesday, ordered California officials to examine a password‑protected thumb drive containing names of suspected noncitizen voters and to freeze those ballots until citizenship status is confirmed.
McCotter’s directive follows the Trump administration’s intensified pressure on states, with the Justice Department warning that noncitizens voting could undermine election integrity. In July, the department warned all 50 states that criminal prosecution could follow if noncitizens were allowed to remain on rolls or cast ballots.
California’s Secretary of State, Shirley Weber, received the notice and is expected to act within the 48‑hour window. State election officials must keep returned ballots separate and refrain from counting any that have been mailed by individuals on the list.
The Justice Department’s spokeswoman, Kiersten Pels, said the department would pursue “all necessary legal action” to safeguard federal election law. The threat of emergency relief signals a sharp escalation in federal scrutiny of state voter rolls.
California will decide whether to comply or face a court order that could invalidate thousands of ballots. The state’s response will shape the upcoming election cycle and set a precedent for how states handle disputed voter registrations.