Trump administration dealt court blow as judge rejects bid to block 20,000 California voters ahead of midterms

An American federal judge ruled against the US Department of Justice's attempt to invalidate the ballots of more than 20,000 California voters who may not be citizens, calling the move a pre-election "interference." The case, which emerged ahead of the November 3 midterms, risks weakening President Donald Trump's Republican Party's control of Congress.

Democratic Party leaders have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing Republicans of threatening and intimidating state and local officials ahead of the vote. US District Judge David O. Carter denied the government's request, emphasizing that never before in American history has the federal government sought to compel a state and local government to disregard its own election procedures.

"Constitutional rights and our democracy are at stake. The public interest favors their protection," Carter added. The federal government had previously claimed California had 190,000 illegal voters on its records, which was later revised to 20,000. The DOJ had recently filed an emergency lawsuit to halt the state from sending ballots to these individuals.

A similar controversy had been brought up in neighboring Nevada, but it was dismissed after verification processes. Trump, denying his own defeat in the 2020 election, has been alleging widespread voter fraud in this year's midterms, a claim repeatedly debunked by studies. The DOJ's actions signify an ongoing pattern of attempted election interference by federal officials, Carter noted in his decision.