The Trump administration has sued California, alleging that state officials failed to join an effort to remove suspected non-citizens from voter rolls. The Justice Department claims it has identified more than 20,000 noncitizens who are unlawfully registered to vote and may have received mail-in ballots for the upcoming midterm elections.
The administration is asking a judge to bar the state from counting mail-in ballots from these individuals, whom the federal government has identified as likely noncitizens, until their status can be confirmed. The lawsuit accuses California of not reviewing the list of potential noncitizens provided by the federal government.
This legal action comes less than a month before the November 3 midterm elections, which will determine which party controls both chambers of Congress. The move is part of an aim to expand federal control over elections and represents the latest escalation in the clash between the federal government and Democratic-led states. The lawsuit also follows debunked claims of noncitizens voting in various states.