Local Politics · Los Angeles County
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against California and Los Angeles County seeking to set aside ballots cast by approximately 20,000 individuals identified as potential noncitizen voters. Federal prosecutors recently charged 28 lawful permanent residents in California with illegally registering or voting, while the state argues the federal list is flawed and lacks sufficient evidence. A federal judge in Oakland has ordered Homeland Security to halt interviews based on the list until after polls close on Nov. 3, citing concerns about voter intimidation. The legal dispute centers on whether the state must verify citizenship status for voters flagged by a cross-referenced database before the midterm elections.
Local Politics · Los Angeles County
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit dismissed the Justice Department's attempt to force California election officials to set aside mail ballots suspected of being cast by noncitizens. The court ruled it lacked jurisdiction because the federal government failed to give a district court adequate opportunity to consider its request for temporary relief before filing an appeal. The decision affects Los Angeles County and other California jurisdictions where officials had already processed hundreds of thousands of mail ballots ahead of the November midterm elections.
Local Politics · Los Angeles County
The Trump administration has filed a federal lawsuit against California and Los Angeles County, seeking to set aside ballots cast by approximately 20,000 individuals identified as potential noncitizens. The legal action follows the charging of 28 lawful permanent residents in California with voter registration fraud last week. State officials argue the government's list is inaccurate and that the lawsuit undermines election integrity, while federal prosecutors claim the charges validate concerns about illegal voting. A federal judge in Los Angeles has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday to address the injunction request.
Local Politics · Los Angeles County
The Trump administration filed a federal lawsuit in Los Angeles seeking to force California and Los Angeles County to set aside ballots from approximately 20,000 people it says may be noncitizens registered to vote ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Federal prosecutors charged 28 California lawful permanent residents with offenses related to registering or voting as noncitizens, plus 20 others nationwide. A federal judge in Oakland called the government's list "flawed" and ordered DHS to stop interviewing or detaining listed individuals until after polls close on Nov. 3. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber declined to cooperate without detailed methodology information, while the state argues the government is sowing doubt in election integrity with scant evidence.
Local Politics · Los Angeles County
A panel of three judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held arguments Sunday questioning the timing, constitutionality and authority of a Justice Department lawsuit demanding California election officials set aside approximately 20,000 mail ballots from voters suspected of being noncitizens. The Trump administration's suit, filed in mid-October, alleges California failed to meet a 48-hour deadline to review flagged names on voter rolls. Judges Mark Bennett, Gabriel Sanchez and Patrick Bumatay heard arguments from DOJ attorney Matthew Donnelly and attorneys representing Los Angeles County Clerk Dean Logan and California Secretary of State Shirley Weber. LA County's representative argued the federal list was unreliable and that segregating ballots for review would effectively disenfranchise eligible voters, citing a sample review showing canceled registrations and U.S.-born individuals on the list. The panel indicated it would issue a ruling as quickly as possible.
