The temporary order comes days before the Nov. 3 midterms. A separate court ruling keeps federal noncitizen-voting investigations on hold in nine states.
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal judge late Friday ordered the Justice Department to stop demanding that California election officials separate out ballots or refuse to count votes from people the government alleges are noncitizens, and to stop threatening officials with criminal prosecution if they do not comply.
US District Judge Trina Thompson issued a temporary restraining order after a lawsuit by labor unions representing election workers and other groups accused the Trump administration of intimidating California election workers and interfering in the administration of the midterms. The order expires in November. The judge noted that Election Day is around the corner and that workers have already started processing ballots, and said she saw no reason to delay her ruling given the consequences of inaction.
The Justice Department sent letters to election officials in every California county a week earlier, demanding they work with the federal government to identify potential noncitizens on their voter rolls, The Hill reported. This week it sent letters to election officials in all 50 states warning of possible prosecution if they failed to preserve election records.
In a separate decision on Friday, a split panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that federal investigations into illegal voting by noncitizens will remain on hold in nine states until after Election Day.
The Justice Department had not publicly responded to the ruling at publication. Aurax News will update this story.
This report draws on information from CBS News, Bloomberg and The Hill.