# DOJ and DHS actions over California noncitizen voter claims > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/california-election-security-and-voting-procedures > Updated: 2026-10-23T00:01:09.000Z. Sources: 153. Developments: 11. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is engaged in a federal lawsuit against California officials, alleging that over 20,000 individuals on state voter rolls may not be citizens. The DOJ seeks a court order to segregate these ballots to prevent potential fraud, arguing that California’s refusal to verify these flagged voters constitutes a ‘willful disregard of federal law.’ California Attorney General Rob Bonta has challenged the litigation, calling it a ‘reckless political stunt’ that threatens to disenfranchise thousands of voters. Los Angeles election officials have questioned the reliability of the data provided by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), noting that a sample analysis of 200 flagged names showed approximately 38.9 percent had U.S. birthplaces. Additionally, officials noted that only about 7,000 of the 20,000 flagged individuals actually reside in Los Angeles County. Simultaneously, DHS has deployed armed Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents to conduct door-to-door inquiries in several states to investigate potential noncitizen voting. A federal judge, Araceli Martínez-Olguín, has issued a preliminary injunction blocking DHS from conducting certain election-related field operations and interviews in nine states, including California, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. The judge ruled that these methods could intimidate legal U.S. citizens and likely violate the Voting Rights Act. The ruling noted that DHS efforts rely on flawed data that includes legal citizens, creating an ‘objectively reasonable fear of law enforcement entanglements.’ The order prohibits investigations targeting individuals whom officials know or should reasonably suspect are U.S. citizens and is set to remain in effect until after the November midterm elections, pending an appeal by the Trump administration. Recent developments indicate that the DHS ‘Criminal Voter Fraud’ initiative has led to the arrest of over 20 green card holders in California for allegedly illegal registration or voting. ## Claims - The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against California to prevent the counting of mail-in ballots from over 20,000 voters suspected of being noncitizens. (corroborated by 33 sources) - Federal authorities arrested more than two dozen foreign nationals in California for allegedly illegal voter registration and voting. (corroborated by 31 sources) - The federal law enforcement initiative, named ‘Operation Protect the Vote,’ involved arrests across California. (corroborated by 31 sources) - The legal action concerns the midterm elections scheduled for November 3. (corroborated by 27 sources) - The lawsuit targets California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan. (corroborated by 25 sources) - The DOJ provided a password-protected thumb drive to Los Angeles County officials containing a list of individuals believed to be noncitizens. (corroborated by 23 sources) - The DOJ requested that California segregate ballots from individuals whose citizenship cannot be verified rather than canceling them immediately. (corroborated by 23 sources) - California officials have 48 hours to review the list of suspected noncitizens. (corroborated by 23 sources) - State officials did not meet a 48-hour deadline to review a password-protected USB drive containing the names. (corroborated by 22 sources) - The DOJ threatened to seek emergency legal relief if the 48-hour deadline is not met. (corroborated by 21 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-10-23: Federal judge blocks DHS election fraud operations in nine states A federal judge blocked DHS election fraud field operations and voter interviews in nine U.S. states to prevent potential citizen intimidation. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/federal-judge-blocks-dhs-election-fraud-operations-in-nine-states ### 2026-10-21: US Judge blocks DHS election-related field operations in nine states A federal judge blocked DHS from conducting field investigations into noncitizen voting in nine states, citing flawed data and the risk of voter intimidation ahead of the midterm elections. 34 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/dhs-conducts-door-knocking-operations-to-identify-noncitizen-voters ### 2026-10-21: California officials challenge DOJ lawsuit over suspected non-citizen ballots California officials are contesting a DOJ lawsuit to segregate 20,000 ballots, alleging the list of suspected non-citizen voters is inaccurate and includes many U.S.-born individuals. 11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/california-officials-challenge-doj-lawsuit-over-suspected-non-citizen-ballots ### 2026-10-20: California leaders urge voters to resist federal intimidation California community leaders and political figures are denouncing federal Department of Justice actions, labeling them as voter intimidation efforts aimed at suppressing Latino communities. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/california-leaders-urge-voters-to-resist-federal-intimidation ### 2026-10-18: California election officials face DOJ lawsuit over suspected noncitizen voters The DOJ has charged 28 California green card holders with election fraud and sued the state to segregate 20,000 ballots suspected of belonging to noncitizens. 49 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-justice-department-threatens-california-officials-over-noncitizen-voter-allegations ### 2026-10-16: Department of Justice sues California over 20,000 suspected noncitizen voters The DOJ has sued California to block the counting of mail-in ballots from 20,000 suspected noncitizen voters, warning officials they could face criminal prosecution for counting them. 46 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-department-of-justice-sues-california-over-20000-disputed-ballots ### 2026-10-15: Los Angeles County officials review DOJ voter eligibility correspondence Los Angeles County election officials are reviewing U.S. Department of Justice correspondence regarding voter eligibility and citizenship following the receipt of a USB drive containing unverified records. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/los-angeles-county-officials-review-doj-voter-eligibility-correspondence ### 2026-10-13: Department of Justice sues California over suspected non-citizen voters The DOJ has sued California to block the counting of mail-in ballots from 20,000 suspected non-citizens, following a failed 48-hour deadline for the state to verify the list. 52 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/california-attorney-general-defends-mail-in-ballot-security ### 2026-10-11: California election officials outline key dates and signature verification processes California election officials have detailed the upcoming November 3 general election schedule and the signature verification protocols used to secure mail-in ballots. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/california-election-officials-outline-key-dates-and-signature-verification-processes ### 2026-10-09: California Secretary of State urges early voting for November election California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber is urging voters to utilize mail-in ballots and early voting for the November 3 election, while emphasizing election security and conditional registration options. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/california-secretary-of-state-urges-early-voting-for-november-election ### 2026-10-06: California AG Rob Bonta defends mail-in voting security California Attorney General Rob Bonta defended the security of mail-in voting for the upcoming November election, despite criticism from opponents regarding registration accuracy and ID requirements. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/california-ag-rob-bonta-defends-mail-in-voting-security --- Cite as: DOJ and DHS actions over California noncitizen voter claims. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/california-election-security-and-voting-procedures