Trump administration appeals lawsuit over alleged noncitizen voters in California

The Trump administration has appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in its lawsuit seeking to block California from counting ballots cast by alleged noncitizen voters, the New York Post and Democracy Docket reported. The Department of Justice filed a notice of appeal on Thursday after claiming that inaction by United States District Judge David O. Carter effectively denied its request for an injunction. [1][6]

The legal battle centers on federal efforts to prevent state officials from sending and counting mail-in ballots associated with a list of more than 20,000 suspect voter registrations, according to the New York Post. California officials are contesting the federal list and fighting the administration's demands in court. [1]

The latest appeal follows earlier legal action in the state. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that a Bay Area judge previously blocked a Trump voter fraud operation affecting California and eight other states due to concerns over flawed data. [2]

This dispute continues a series of tensions between federal officials and state leaders. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the Trump administration previously filed a lawsuit targeting roughly 20,000 voter registrations in California and warned election officials that knowingly counting ballots cast by noncitizens is a federal crime. [9][10]