# California Blocks Trump Admin's Vote-By-Mail Ballot Challenge

> California argues Trump administration's lawsuit targeting 20,000 noncitizen voters is a reckless political stunt that risks disenfranchising thousands.
- Title: California Blocks Trump Admin's Vote-By-Mail Ballot Challenge
- Summary: California argues Trump administration's lawsuit targeting 20,000 noncitizen voters is a reckless political stunt that risks disenfranchising thousands…
- Keywords: california, doj, trump administration, voting, noncitizen voting, elections, vote-by-mail, federal court, election law, injunction, crime, news
- Source: Law & Crime — https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/as-unlawful-as-it-is-untenable-california-tells-court-that-trump-admin-lawsuit-over-alleged-noncitizen-voting-is-a-reckless-political-stunt-in-motion-opposing-injunction
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: california, doj, trump administration, voting, noncitizen voting, elections, vote-by-mail, federal court, election law, injunction, crime, news
## California Challenges Trump Admin
California urged federal judge to block Trump administration's request to invalidate 20,000 Californians' vote-by-mail ballots.
## DOJ's Alleged Noncitizen List
U.S. Department of Justice provided Los Angeles elections officials with a list of 'likely noncitizens' for 20,000 people.
## Local Officials Reject DOJ Push
Los Angeles county officials refused federal demand to remove names from voting rolls and later sued the DOJ.
## Trump Admin Sues for Injunction
Trump administration moved for temporary restraining order to prevent tabulating ballots of 20,000 alleged noncitizens.
## California's 41-Page Motion
California filed a 41-page opposition motion arguing the 2026 midterm election is already underway.
## Mail Ballots Already Sent
California counties began sending vote-by-mail ballots weeks ago with a dispatch deadline of October 5, 2026.
## California Rejects Ballot Removal
California called Trump administration's demand to remove 20,000 ballots from counts 'impossible and unserious'.
## Plaintiff's Disenfranchisement Risk
The motion states that sequestering ballots would have 'a devastating disenfranchising effect' on voters.
## No Citizenship Verification Standard
Trump administration did not set a standard for verifying citizenship of 20,000 alleged noncitizens before the 2026 election.
## DOJ Concedes Verification Impossible
The government admitted it is 'not practicable or feasible' to verify citizenship for 20,000 people before the 2026 election.
## California's Motion Claims
California argues the lawsuit risks disenfranchising thousands of voters and threatens election integrity.
## DOJ Failed to Provide Data
DOJ did not provide state officials with the 'suspect data' list of 20,000 people for verification.
## Lawsuit Followed 48 Hours
California's lawsuit followed the DOJ's request less than 48 hours later.
## 30 States Sued by DOJ
The DOJ has sued 30 states to obtain unredacted voter rolls, with 26 cases decided in favor of states.
## All Courts Reject Mail Voting Rules
All courts have rejected efforts to impose new mail voting rules weeks before the election.
## California Calls It a Stunt
California describes the lawsuit as 'a reckless political stunt' that is 'unlawful as it is untenable'.
## Key takeaway

California says Trump administration's attempt to block vote-by-mail ballots for 20,000 alleged noncitizens is unlawful and threatens to disenfranchise voters.