DOJ sued California on Thursday, alleging the state failed to vet a list of 20,000 voters flagged by federal agencies as likely noncitizens, and is demanding a court order to halt the counting of their mail ballots.
The list, produced by DHS and other agencies, was sent to California officials after cross‑checking voter registration data with immigration files, and the DOJ says the state has yet to conduct the requested review.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the alleged lapse threatens election integrity; “State‑facilitated voter fraud is unacceptable,” he said, warning that a court ruling against California would erode public confidence.
First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli noted California had previously removed noncitizens from voter rolls and set aside suspicious ballots, but declined to act on this new list, a fact the complaint cites as evidence of negligence.
The lawsuit seeks a federal judge to mandate that California verify citizenship status before any of the 20,000 ballots are counted and to stop tabulation until the checks conclude, with the DOJ pressing for immediate enforcement.