Judge orders DOJ to stop trying to “intimidate” and “threaten” California election officials

October 30, 2026 / 10:50 PM EDT / CBS News

A California judge late Friday ordered the federal government to stop demanding that state and local election officials separate out ballots or not count certain votes from alleged noncitizens, and to stop threatening officials with criminal prosecution if they do not comply.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson came in response to a lawsuit filed a day earlier by labor unions and other groups, accusing the Trump administration of intimidating California election workers and interfering in the administration of the midterms.

The Justice Department has pressed officials in California this month to separate out mail ballots for roughly 20,000 people it alleges are not U.S. citizens, and has issued grand jury subpoenas for officials in Los Angeles County — part of a sweeping campaign by the Trump administration. Federal officials have also suggested for months that election workers could be prosecuted if they fail to stop noncitizens from voting.

The lawsuit cited the head of the Justice Department Civil Rights Division, Harmeet Dhillon, sending letters to all 50 states and Washington, D.C., threatening to criminally prosecute local election officials in July, and the department's latest demand for lists…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/