# Justice Department Threatens California Over Noncitizen Voter Claims

> U.S. Justice Department threatens California with legal action after claiming noncitizens received mail ballots for next month's elections.
- Title: Justice Department Threatens California Over Noncitizen Voter…
- Summary: U.S. Justice Department threatens California with legal action after claiming noncitizens received mail ballots for next month's elections. The U.S…
- Keywords: justice department, california, voter rolls, noncitizens, mail ballots, midterm elections, u.s. department of justice, secretary of state, attorney general, news, local, Justice
- Source: ABC7 New York — https://abc7ny.com/story/justice-department-threatens-california-legal-action-claim-noncitizens-voter-rolls/19938844
- Published: 2026-10-14T22:10:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: justice department, california, voter rolls, noncitizens, mail ballots, midterm elections, u.s. department of justice, secretary of state, attorney general, news, local
## U.S. Justice Department Threatens California
The U.S. Department of Justice has threatened California with possible legal action over what it says are noncitizens who received mail ballots for next month's midterm elections.
## DOJ Sends 48-Hour Review Deadline
A letter sent to Secretary of State Shirley Weber from Trent McCotter, acting deputy U.S. attorney general, gives california 48 hours to determine if any citizens are on the list of alleged noncitizens.
## DOJ Provides Password-Protected List
The federal government provided a password-protected thumb drive with a list of names it believes are likely noncitizens who were sent mail ballots for the november 3 election.
## California Attorney General Responds
California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the letter another example of president donald trump spreading false conspiracy theories about widespread voter fraud.
## LA County Registrar Confirms Receipt
Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan confirmed receiving the letter and a thumb drive with a password to access the list of alleged noncitizens on voter rolls.
## 48-Hour Deadline Criticized as Unreasonable
Santa Cruz County Clerk Tricia Webber said the 48-hour deadline to vet voters flagged by the federal government is completely unreasonable and would take more than 48 hours to complete.
## Federal Claims of Noncitizen Voters
The Trump administration has charged about 90 people for election misconduct this year, including 50 alleged to have voted as noncitizens in the 2024 presidential election.
## State Privacy Laws Protect Voters
California successfully sued the federal government for data sharing, arguing that turning over voter information would violate state privacy laws.
## What Happens Next
California must decide within 48 hours whether to segregate mail-in ballots for individuals whose citizenship cannot be verified by the federal government.
## Key takeaway

The U.S. Department of Justice warned California it could sue over alleged noncitizen voters on mail ballots for November's elections.