Judge orders Trump administration to stop threatening US election officials

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to cease threatening election officials with criminal charges over their handling of ballots. The California judge ruled that the Department of Justice must stop demanding that local and state officials withhold or reject certain ballots believed to belong to non-citizens. This decision was made just days before the midterm elections, which will determine control of the US Congress for the final two years of Trump's presidency.

Earlier this month, the Department of Justice sent letters to California's Secretary of State and Los Angeles County Registrar demanding they set aside ballots belonging to 20,000 registered voters whom the Trump administration suspects are non-citizens. However, election officials across the state refused to comply, citing their obligation to follow established election procedures. The officials claimed that following the DoJ's orders would disrupt the election process and disenfranchise legal voters.

The judge dismissed the demand, stating that it would "cause chaos" in the elections. The Department of Homeland Security had already threatened criminal charges against county officials who did not comply with the letter. Reports also emerged that the Department of Justice had initiated a criminal investigation into county election officials, serving federal grand jury subpoenas.

Civil rights groups and unions representing election workers filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice, alleging interference with their duty to administer the elections. Judge Trina Thompson ordered the administration to halt its actions, stating that the administration's actions "are likely to interfere with election administration and disenfranchise lawful voters."

The Trump administration has been engaged in a years-long campaign to combat alleged voter fraud, despite evidence suggesting that such instances are extremely rare. In the lead-up to the midterm elections on November 3rd, the president has questioned the security of the vote, alleging widespread cheating in mail-in ballots and non-citizen voting. Trump offered a $1 million reward to individuals who report cases of voter fraud resulting in a conviction, though research indicates that actual cases are exceedingly uncommon.