The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) intensified its conflict with California officials on Monday by seeking a temporary restraining order regarding ballots from about 20,000 potential noncitizen voters.
The DOJ is insisting that election officials disregard the ballots associated with individuals flagged by the Trump administration as possibly being noncitizens.
‘Once illegally cast ballots are counted and mixed with valid votes, the resulting damage may be impossible to fix.’
California had previously rejected a request from the Trump administration to verify the voters’ eligibility or to exclude the 20,000 identified voters from the process.
The DOJ’s pursuit of the temporary restraining order took place in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
“California not only chose not to act; it has made it clear that it intends to treat ballots from these likely noncitizens equally to those cast by U.S. citizens, leading to this legal action which seeks typical election relief when vote legitimacy is questioned,” the DOJ’s filing states.
“When illegal ballots are counted alongside legitimate ones, the harm could be irreparable,” the DOJ contended. “This urgency is further underscored by the fundamental right to vote and the necessity of ensuring one’s legitimate vote is counted without compromise.”
California officials have accused the Trump administration of intruding on state election matters following the DOJ’s lawsuit aimed at blocking the counting of these ballots.
“This is a regrettable and desperate maneuver by Trump to deploy his politicized Justice Department to suppress California voters just weeks before Election Day,” commented Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.
“Courts have affirmed that the federal government has no jurisdiction over state election operations,” he added. “We will stand firm in defending fair elections in California and denounce all attempts to subvert our democracy.”
The state’s Secretary of State criticized the allegations as “vague and unfounded,” further accusing the administration of failing to provide evidence confirming that the registered voters in question are indeed noncitizens.
Noncitizens can include undocumented immigrants, as well as individuals who are permanent legal residents but have not yet become citizens.
“The demands from the Trump administration at this late stage are baseless, and we are eager to present our argument in court,” stated California Attorney General Rob Bonta on social media regarding the lawsuit.
