The federal court order bars the Department of Justice from demanding that election workers sequester or avoid counting ballots from individuals suspected of being non-citizens. In California, federal scrutiny escalated after officials were told to set aside 20,000 ballots and armed Department of Homeland Security personnel hand-delivered letters threatening staff with prosecution. Workers refused to comply based on state and federal laws, prompting the government to issue grand jury subpoenas to county personnel. Judge Trina Thompson concluded that the administration's aggressive tactics unlawfully interfered with local election processes.
Key points
The Department of Justice must immediately cease threatening election administrators who…: The Department of Justice must immediately cease threatening election administrators who are carrying out ballot counts.
Judicial findings showed the administration's actions threatened to disrupt administrativ…: Judicial findings showed the administration's actions threatened to disrupt administrative procedures and disenfranchise lawful voters.
Former President Trump vowed to persist with his election integrity efforts despite resea…: Former President Trump vowed to persist with his election integrity efforts despite research showing non-citizen voting is rare.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
- Published
A federal judge has ordered the federal government to stop threatening local and state election officials with criminal charges over their role in processing election ballots.
The California judge ruled that the Department of Justice (DoJ) must stop demanding that local and state election officials set aside or not process certain ballots that the Trump administration alleges may come from non-citizens.
The ruling comes days before the midterm elections, which will determine which political party controls the US Congress for the last two years of Donald Trump's presidency.
Trump criticised the ruling on Saturday, writing,"Why would they reject fixing Election Fraud?"
In California earlier this month, the justice department sent letters to the secretary of state and Los Angeles County Registrar demanding they set aside the ballots of 20,000 registered voters whom the Trump administration "believe" are "likely" non-citizens, according to court documents.
About a week later, armed officials from the Department of Homeland Security delivered letters to county officials and employees across California threatening criminal charges if they didn't sequester those ballots.
The sudden suspension of Constitutional Tribunal chief judge Bogdan Swieczkowski has intensified an ongoing battle over judicial independence and European Union legal supremacy. Convening cross-party discussions at the presidential palace, the head of state warned of threats to internal security as both sides exchanged accusations of democratic sabotage. The political clash has triggered international appeals for restraint alongside continued street demonstrations.
Clashes between youthful crowds and law enforcement have erupted across multiple urban centers, raising urgent security concerns nationwide. The unrest reflects mounting domestic tensions as widespread public actions spiral beyond peaceful assemblies. Authorities are now grappling with coordinated civil disorder that has stretched emergency response operations thin.
The former human rights lawyer was detained under the Terrorism Act during a Saturday demonstration outside the United States embassy in London. Her detention was part of dozens of new actions reported by Defend Our Juries targeting demonstrators who defy the ban on Palestine Action. Total arrests related to the ban have now climbed past 4,000 across the United Kingdom.