Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration from Threatening Election Officials

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop threatening local and state election officials with criminal charges over their handling of ballots. The ruling mandates that the Department of Justice cease demanding that election officials set aside or not process ballots that the administration alleges may belong to non-citizens.

The decision comes just days before midterm elections that will determine which party controls Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump's term. The President criticized the ruling on social media, questioning why efforts to address alleged election fraud were being rejected.

Earlier this month, the Justice Department sent letters to California's secretary of state and the Los Angeles County Registrar. These letters demanded that they set aside ballots from 20,000 registered voters whom the Trump administration believed were likely non-citizens, according to court documents. Shortly after, officials from the Department of Homeland Security reportedly delivered letters to county officials and employees across California, threatening criminal charges if these ballots were not segregated.

Election officials stated they could not comply with these demands as they are bound by state and federal election laws. A judge ultimately rejected the administration's request, ruling that it would cause significant disruption to the election process.

Concurrently, the Justice Department reportedly initiated a criminal investigation into county election officials, issuing federal grand jury subpoenas. In response, civil rights groups and unions representing election workers filed a legal complaint, accusing the Justice Department of interfering with their official duties.

Judge Trina Thompson issued the order to halt the administration's actions, stating, "Although Defendants claim that their actions are designed to halt unlawful voting by noncitizens, their actions are likely to have the effect of interfering with election administration and disenfranchising lawful voters."

The Trump administration had also sent a similar letter to Washington state, demanding that its secretary of state stop processing ballots due to concerns about non-citizen voters, as noted in Thompson's order.

These actions are part of a broader, ongoing effort by the Trump administration to combat alleged voter fraud, which the President asserts is widespread. Ahead of the midterm elections, he has raised concerns about the security of the vote, particularly regarding mail-in voting and non-citizen participation. He also offered a reward for reporting cases of voter fraud that lead to convictions.

However, research suggests that instances of voter fraud are exceedingly rare. A database maintained by the Heritage Foundation identified 24 cases of non-citizens being convicted for voting between 2005 and 2025, according to BBC Verify. In a social media post, Trump criticized recent rulings against his administration concerning election fraud allegations and reiterated his commitment to fighting for "Election Integrity."