Sioux Falls, SD, October 20, 2026 —

The Trump administration’s Department of Justice has stepped up pressure on California, including by arresting and charging noncitizens and asking a federal court to block state election officials from counting ballots cast by an estimated 20,000 voters suspected of being noncitizens. The request came just weeks before an election, according to the information provided.

California officials and voting rights advocates criticized the move, describing it as political theater and warning that it could disenfranchise voters. The available information does not identify the officials or advocacy groups who made those statements, or provide further detail about their objections.

The request seeks to prevent California election officials from counting the ballots in question. The information provided does not specify which court received the request, what legal arguments the Justice Department made, whether the court has acted, or how the estimated number of voters was determined. It also does not identify the election or give its date.

Details about the arrests and charges are not available in the summary. It does not state how many people were arrested, what charges they face, when the arrests occurred, or whether those cases are connected to the ballot-counting request. The identities of the individuals involved and the evidence behind the suspicion that the voters are noncitizens were not provided.

The dispute places a federal request to restrict ballot counting alongside state-level criticism centered on potential disenfranchisement. The information available does not establish what action the court will take or what steps California election officials may take in response. Further details about the request, the cases, and the election were not provided.


Story summarized from the original created by Jonathan Shorman on southdakotasearchlight.com, see more information here.

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