Justice Department threatens California over noncitizen voter list
The Justice Department has given California 48 hours to review a federal list of people it believes are likely noncitizens who received mail ballots.
Mostly right · 71% 7 sources
California noncitizen ballot dispute
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What's happening
The Justice Department has sued California after giving state and local election officials a thumb drive with voter roll citizenship data and 48 hours to compare 20,000 names flagged by the Department of Homeland Security.(source: Oct 14: Justice Department threatens California over noncitizen voter list)(source: Oct 17: Trump warns California officials of jail over noncitizen ballots as DOJ sues state) President Trump wrote on Truth Social that California election officials "will all go to jail for a long period of time" if they include the mail-in ballots of people identified as potential noncitizens in the midterm count.(source: Oct 17: Trump warns California officials of jail over noncitizen ballots as DOJ sues state) Federal authorities arrested 11 foreign nationals in California on Monday and the Justice Department announced charges against 28 noncitizens for alleged illegal voting and registration offenses.(source: Oct 19: DOJ Arrests 28 Noncitizens in California Voter Fraud Crackdown)
How we got here
- Acting Deputy Attorney General R. Trent McCotter sent letters to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan demanding a review of a list of people the federal government believes are likely noncitizens who were sent mail ballots for the November 3 election.(source: Oct 14: Justice Department threatens California over noncitizen voter list)
- The Justice Department provided Los Angeles County with a password-protected thumb drive containing the list and asked officials to segregate ballots from individuals whose citizenship cannot be verified, stating the United States would seek emergency relief if the process was not implemented by the deadline.(source: Oct 14: Justice Department threatens California over noncitizen voter list)
- Trump said California election officials could go to jail if they count mail-in ballots from people the federal government identified as potential noncitizens, after the Justice Department sued the state on Thursday.(source: Oct 17: Trump warns California officials of jail over noncitizen ballots as DOJ sues state)
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized the suit as a "sad, desperate attempt by Trump to use his politicized Justice Department to try to suppress California voters."(source: Oct 17: Trump warns California officials of jail over noncitizen ballots as DOJ sues state)
- The arrests were part of "Operation Protect the Vote," a coordinated effort involving all four U.S. attorney's offices in California, and U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the Department of Justice has charged 113 aliens across 20 states with illegal voting and registration offenses in the last seven weeks.(source: Oct 19: DOJ Arrests 28 Noncitizens in California Voter Fraud Crackdown)
Summary of our earlier coverage: every sentence links to the stories it comes from, numbered as in the timeline below.
Timeline
Oldest firstTrump warns California officials of jail over noncitizen ballots as DOJ sues state
President Trump said California election officials could go to jail if they count mail-in ballots from people the federal government identified as potential noncitizens, after the Justice Department sued the state.
Too few rated sources 3 sourcesDOJ Arrests 28 Noncitizens in California Voter Fraud Crackdown
Federal authorities arrested 11 foreign nationals in California on Monday and announced charges against 28 noncitizens for alleged illegal voting and registration offenses.
Mostly right · 100% 4 sources
How each side's framing changed
Each side's frame, story by story| Side | 1Justice Department threatens California over noncitizen voter list | 2Trump warns California officials of jail over noncitizen ballots as DOJ sues state | 3DOJ Arrests 28 Noncitizens in California Voter Fraud Crackdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conspiracy left | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage |
| Far left | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage |
| Left | Reports Justice Department demand on California voter rollsNBC News (Politics) | No coverage | No coverage |
| Right | Says DOJ gives California ultimatum on voter rollsFox News (Politics) | No coverage | Hails federal arrests of noncitizens for voter fraudThe Daily Wire |
| Far right | Says DOJ gave California 48 hours on voter listThe Gateway Pundit | Warns California officials of jail over noncitizen ballotsBreitbart (Politics) | Praises DOJ crackdown on noncitizen voter fraudPJ Media |
| Conspiracy right | No coverage | Warns California officials of prison over noncitizen ballotsZeroHedge | No coverage |
| Readers | Readers: no picks yet | Readers: no picks yet | Readers: no picks yet |
Debate questions over time
Should California review the federal list of suspected noncitizen voters before the election?
Join the debate on Justice Department threatens California over noncitizen voter listShould California set aside mail-in ballots from voters flagged as potential noncitizens until citizenship is confirmed?
Join the debate on Trump warns California officials of jail over noncitizen ballots as DOJ sues stateShould the Justice Department prioritize arresting noncitizens accused of illegal voting ahead of midterm elections?
Join the debate on DOJ Arrests 28 Noncitizens in California Voter Fraud Crackdown