Appeals Court to Hear Sunday Arguments in DOJ's Voting Suit Against California
The hearing will address the Justice Department's challenge to a district judge's handling of allegations concerning noncitizens on California's voter rolls.
A federal appeals court has scheduled a rare Sunday hearing to consider arguments in the Justice Department's voting lawsuit against California. The hearing comes after a surprise appeal by the Trump administration, which contends a district judge did not act swiftly enough to address allegations of approximately 20,000 potential noncitizen voters on the state's voter rolls.
A three-judge panel, comprised of two appointees of President Donald Trump and one appointee of President Joe Biden, will hear arguments regarding the Justice Department's efforts to segregate ballots cast by these alleged noncitizens.
Department of Elections workers sort mail-in ballots for the California primary election at City Hall on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in San Francisco. Jeff Chiu/AP Photo
California officials have disputed the list, asserting that it is unverified and includes lawful voters. These officials pointed to a preliminary analysis of 200 names from the 20,000-person list, which indicated a high percentage of individuals claiming to be born in the U.S. and many with no voting history. According to court filings, nearly 40% of those 200 individuals showed evidence of U.S. birth, and 71.2% had no voting history.
This legal challenge follows recent charges announced by the Justice Department against approximately 28 individuals from the list, who are accused of voting and immigration-related crimes.
Earlier this month, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against California, alleging the state failed to properly review a list of alleged noncitizens. The Trump administration claimed these individuals were sent mail-in ballots for an upcoming election.
Additionally, the Justice Department sent letters to every county in California asking local elections officials to assist in identifying potential voters who may be in the U.S. illegally. According to a letter described to ABC News, the department urged county officials to commit to working with the DOJ and Department of Homeland Security within 48 hours to identify citizens from the provided list, warning of potential federal scrutiny and legal exposure if actions risk election integrity.