In an ongoing dispute with California officials over voter registration, the Department of Justice has charged 28 green card holders in the state. These charges allege illegal registration or voting in U.S. elections. This move marks an intensification in the conflict regarding California’s voting practices.
The Justice Department announced that these 28 individuals are noncitizens charged with election-related offenses in California. This announcement suggests continued federal scrutiny and action through Election Day and potentially beyond. The DOJ has also sought an emergency federal court order to halt the processing of ballots from individuals on voter rolls whom the federal government suspects may not be citizens.
This Department of Justice will not look the other way while noncitizens vote in federal elections,
stated Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter. He criticized California and Los Angeles County for their handling of the issue.
The Trump administration is dedicating considerable resources to addressing alleged ineligible voting. The DOJ is filing new charges frequently as early voting progresses across many states. This follows President Trump’s speech on election integrity and a significant recent development where a 20,000-name list was delivered to Los Angeles County officials.
“They will all go to jail for a long period of time!!!” wrote President Trump on Truth Social, warning that federal charges could lead to lengthy imprisonments.
Local officials and election experts are concerned that federal actions might undermine voter confidence and suggest a larger problem with noncitizen voting than exists. Rick Hasen, an election law expert, highlights several risks, including disenfranchising eligible voters and undermining trust in the electoral process.
Across the nation, local election officials, like Dana Lewis from Pinal County, Arizona, are closely following the situation, aware that they could experience similar federal scrutiny if issues arise in their regions. If it’s happening in Georgia, if it’s happening in Colorado or California, we’re all watching,
Lewis commented.
New Charges Filed
The DOJ’s charges against 28 individuals include allegations of voter registration and voting offenses. Many did not actually vote, and some registrations date back over two decades. The DOJ claims some made false statements on their naturalization applications, falsely asserting U.S. citizenship or claiming they registered to vote.
Bill Essayli, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for California’s Central District, argued that these actions were not accidental. They either attested to it when they got a driver’s license, or they went out of their way to file a voter registration form,
he said.
Over the past seven weeks, the DOJ has charged 113 noncitizens in 20 states for voting-related crimes. Hasen noted that given California’s 20 million registered voters, the number of allegations remains small.
This situation has raised public fears, with a portion of Americans believing immigration enforcement might occur at voting locations. Non-white voters express greater concern about potential questioning by authorities compared to white voters.
Dean Logan, Los Angeles County’s chief voting official, is focused on encouraging voter participation amidst these tensions, urging voters not to be distracted by litigation or misinformation.
Federal and State Conflict
The DOJ’s request to have a federal judge stop the processing of votes from the 20,000 named individuals is notable due to voting already being in progress. California officials argue that complying with this request would violate both federal and state laws. Secretary of State Shirley Weber noted such measures would deny voting rights and violate due process.
Los Angeles County officials have refused the DOJ’s demands, citing the National Voter Registration Act, which prevents the removal of voters from rolls close to an election. This law aims to avoid inadvertent errors that could disenfranchise eligible voters.
Questions linger regarding the 20,000 noncitizen tally’s accuracy. A July letter from Homeland Security suggested 190,000 noncitizens might exist on rolls, but the DOJ has focused on the 20,000 it believes are most likely noncitizens.
The DOJ’s call for data sharing has been rebuffed, as 26 federal judges have dismissed similar requests nationwide. During a Monday court filing, the DOJ posited that once illegal ballots are counted, correcting the mistake could become impossible.
Voting and civil rights groups argue that the DOJ’s demands are unlawful, warning that this lawsuit may serve more as a political maneuver than a legal battle, as states hold constitutional authority over election administration. UCLA’s Hasen anticipates the lawsuit will not progress in court.
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