Trump sues California to block 20,000 suspected noncitizens from voting in November midterms

The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against California election officials, demanding a judge bar the state from counting mail-in ballots already sent to people the federal government believes are likely noncitizens ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. The DOJ supplied Los Angeles County with a password-protected thumb drive naming 20,000 suspected noncitizens, giving the state 48 hours to review the list — a deadline California refused to meet. Secretary of State Shirley Weber rejected the demand, calling it a threat to thousands of Californians' voting rights based on what she described as unverifiable information with no supporting methodology.

Weber pointed to a Nevada precedent where nearly 16,000 flagged 'noncitizens' turned out to be verified US citizens.

LA County Registrar Dean Logan said the thumb drive arrived with a handwritten password note and he refused to access it, calling it an insecure device.

'Only American citizens may vote in federal elections — it is a federal crime,' DOJ officials warned, vowing emergency relief if the state does not comply.