Federal judge blocks Trump administration from pressuring election officials
U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson issued an order prohibiting the Trump administration from threatening or coercing state and local election officials ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
A federal judge in California issued an order on Friday that bars the Trump administration from threatening, intimidating or coercing state and local election officials as the nation approaches the November 3 midterm elections. The eight-page injunction forbids any action that could compel officials to stop processing ballots solely because the administration alleges the voters may be ineligible.
U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson wrote that senior officials from the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security had engaged in a “campaign to intimidate, threaten, and coerce” election workers. She noted that while the administration claims its actions aim to stop unlawful voting by non-citizens, they are likely to interfere with election administration and disenfranchise lawful voters.
The order remains in effect through Nov. 16, extending two weeks beyond Election Day. It follows recent litigation in which a federal appeals court rejected the administration’s request to force California election officials to segregate ballots it says may belong to non-citizens. A separate appeal also denied a DOJ bid to block more than 20,000 ballots in Washington state.
In late October, the Justice Department sent letters to officials in 57 of California’s 58 counties, urging cooperation with investigations into alleged illegal voting. The letters cited federal law prohibiting non-citizens from voting in federal elections and included lists of individuals the department identified as “likely aliens.” The correspondence requested that officials provide personal registration data and, where citizenship could not be confirmed, segregate mail-in ballots until status could be verified.
"The legal consequences for either facilitating or ignoring federal crimes are significant," the letter from First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli stated.
The judge’s ruling aims to prevent further pressure on election officials and to protect the integrity of the upcoming midterm elections.