Politics · United States · 26 mins ago
DOJ gives California 48 hours to review suspected noncitizen voters
The Justice Department gave California officials 48 hours to review names of people it believes may have received mail ballots despite not being U.S. citizens.
The list was sent on a password-protected USB drive to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County election official Dean Logan.
Federal officials asked California to set aside ballots only when citizenship cannot be confirmed, not cancel them, while checks are made.
Logan says his office has not opened the drive because it may not meet data security rules and the letter does not say how many people are listed.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta says the administration is trying to intimidate voters and rejects claims of widespread fraud.
The dispute is part of a wider federal effort to check state voter rolls, which has faced repeated legal defeats.
The Justice Department warned it may seek emergency legal action if California does not meet its deadline.
The Justice Department gave California officials 48 hours to review a list of people it suspects are noncitizens who received mail ballots.
The list was provided on a password-protected USB drive, which Los Angeles County officials say they have not accessed because of security and privacy concerns.
The DOJ asked officials to verify each person’s citizenship and segregate ballots for anyone whose status could not be confirmed.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta rejected claims of widespread voter fraud and said state officials were reviewing their options.
The department warned it would seek emergency legal relief if officials did not meet its demands.
- Who
- The Justice Department and California election officials, including Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan and Secretary of State Shirley Weber.
- What
- The DOJ demanded a review of suspected noncitizens who may have received mail ballots and warned of emergency legal action.
- When
- The letter was dated Oct. 13, 2026, and set a 48-hour deadline. The DOJ specified noon Eastern on Oct. 15.
- Where
- California, including Los Angeles County.
- Why
- The DOJ says it wants to ensure that noncitizens do not vote in federal elections.
The Justice Department
California officials
Purpose of the review
The Justice Department
The DOJ says the review is needed to ensure only citizens vote in federal elections.
California officials
Bonta says claims of widespread voter fraud are false and calls the effort an attempt to intimidate voters.
Handling the records
The Justice Department
The DOJ wants officials to review the names, verify citizenship and segregate ballots when status cannot be confirmed.
California officials
Logan says the USB drive is not a secure medium and that action on eligibility must rely on verifiable information, not unconfirmed data matching.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told California's secretary of state that the government believed noncitizens were listed on the state's voter rolls.
California sent mail ballots to all voters, according to David Becker, cited by CNN.
The DOJ sent California officials a letter with a list of suspected noncitizens on a password-protected USB drive and a 48-hour review deadline.
Dean Logan said his office had not accessed the drive, citing data privacy and information security protocols.
The DOJ's stated deadline for officials to meet its demands was noon Eastern.
- Deadline
- 48 hours; noon Eastern on Oct. 15, 2026
- Letter date
- Oct. 13, 2026
- Record format
- Password-protected USB drive
- Los Angeles County registrar
- Dean Logan
- California secretary of state
- Shirley Weber
- California attorney general
- Rob Bonta
4 sources
Los Angeles Officials Haven’t Plugged in USB Drive That DOJ Insists Is Full of Noncitizens Who Were Sent Ballots
DOJ threatens emergency legal action against California over suspected noncitizen voters
DOJ tells California to review whether noncitizens got mail ballots
Trump administration escalates voter roll fight with threats against California election officials
What people are saying
For individuals whom you cannot independently confirm citizenship status, we request that you immediately instruct the appropriate elections official to segregate — not cancel — those individuals' vote-by-mail ballots until their citizenship status can be determined.
There is no widespread voter preference, voter fraud problem. It doesn't exist. It is a lie. It is a conspiracy theory.
We do not consider the device a secure medium.