The Trump administration has placed California on a 48-hour clock — demanding a review of suspected noncitizen voters or a showdown in court before the midterm elections.
The Justice Department’s ultimatum came in a Tuesday letter to Secretary of State Shirley Weber, according to Reuters.
Acting Deputy Attorney General R. Trent McCotter wrote that federal officials had supplied Los Angeles County with a password-protected thumb drive identifying people they believe are likely noncitizens who were sent mail-in ballots.
The feds want California to stop sending ballots to anyone on the list until their citizenship is confirmed, separate their ballots when they arrive and hold off counting any already returned.
The letter threatens to seek emergency court intervention if state officials don’t comply — turning a thumb drive into the latest clash between Washington and the Golden State.
“Allowing noncitizens to vote cancels citizen votes,” McCotter reportedly wrote.
Officials for the Secretary of State and Governor’s Office did not immediately respond to The California Post’s requests for comment.
Justice Department spokeswoman Kiersten Pels confirmed the letter to Reuters and said the department would pursue legal action to protect election integrity and enforce federal law.
The Trump administration has repeatedly portrayed voter fraud and noncitizen voting as widespread, despite studies showing it is rare.
A Reuters investigation found that software glitches and clerical mistakes may have put more than 30,000 noncitizens on voter rolls nationwide since 2000, though it was unclear how many actually voted.
Federal prosecutors, meanwhile, announced 16 new criminal cases Monday involving alleged noncitizen voting or fraudulent registrations.
