# Trump sues California over noncitizen mail-in ballots

> Trump administration sues California to block counting alleged noncitizen mail-in ballots.
- Title: Trump sues California over noncitizen mail-in ballots
- Summary: Trump administration sues California to block counting alleged noncitizen mail-in ballots. Trump administration sued California to prevent counting mail-in…
- Keywords: trump administration, california, noncitizen mail-in ballots, justice department, election officials, voter rolls, midterm elections, immigration status, federal law, election law, news, local
- Source: NBC Bay Area — https://nbcbayarea.com/news/local/trump-administration-sues-california-to-block-state-from-counting-alleged-noncitizen-mail-in-ballots/4158651
- Published: 2026-10-15T20:18:16+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: trump administration, california, noncitizen mail-in ballots, justice department, election officials, voter rolls, midterm elections, immigration status, federal law, election law, news, local
## Trump administration sues California
Trump administration sued California election officials to block counting mail-in ballots from 20,000 alleged noncitizens until citizenship is confirmed.
## Justice Department deadline missed
California officials failed to meet a 48-hour deadline to review a list of 20,000 names the federal government says are likely noncitizens.
## List sent to Los Angeles County
The list was sent directly to Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan on Tuesday via a password-protected thumb drive with a handwritten note.
## California's voter roll size
California has over 23 million registered voters, with roughly half being Democrats, and a handful of competitive congressional races.
## California Secretary of State response
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber said the federal government hasn't provided evidence that 20,000 names on voter rolls are noncitizens.
## Election law expert opinion
Election law expert David Becker called the lawsuit 'fairly frivolous' and said it could set the stage for false election claims.
## Security concerns
Logan said his office received the thumb drive with a handwritten password note but considered it insecure, as most election offices wouldn't accept such devices.
## California Attorney General response
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said state officials won't withhold ballots for alleged noncitizens and that the Trump administration is violating federal law.
## Trump administration's stance
The Trump administration claims the federal government sought to work collaboratively with California to identify noncitizens but says the state made no serious effort to do so.
## Key takeaway

Trump administration sued California to prevent counting mail-in ballots from 20,000 alleged noncitizens until their citizenship is confirmed.