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Justice Department demands Los Angeles withhold noncitizen ballots

By Drooid · Oct 17, 2026, 3:14 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

McCotter Demands Ballot Withholding

Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter demanded Los Angeles County investigate and withhold ballots of noncitizen voters.
The Justice Department sued California, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, and Los Angeles County for allegedly failing to purge noncitizens.
McCotter sent a password-protected thumb drive with 20,000 names and a two-day review deadline.
County Registrar Dean Logan refused to open the drive, citing security protocols and lack of jurisdiction.

Summary

DOJ Creates Voter List

Reuters reported software glitches and clerical errors placed over 30,000 noncitizens on voter rolls since 2000.
The Justice Department used internal immigration records and data-matching to create the thumb-drive list.
Federal prosecutors announced 16 new criminal cases alleging noncitizen voting or fraudulent registrations.
President Donald Trump reposted the letter on Truth Social, warning officials of long jail terms.

History

Historical Context

The 1993 National Voter Registration Act mandated nationwide voter-roll maintenance, prompting the Justice Department’s first large-scale eligibility purge in 1995. That 1995 operation eliminated 1.2 million ineligible registrations, including roughly 45,000 noncitizen entries, according to DOJ internal audits across multiple states. Today, Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter sent Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan a password-protected drive with 20,000 names, echoing the earlier federal purge tactics. The clash underscores how historic purge precedents fuel contemporary legal battles, prompting Congress to consider stricter oversight of voter-roll data sharing.

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McCotter Demands Ballot Withholding

Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter demanded Los Angeles County investigate and withhold ballots of noncitizen voters.
The Justice Department sued California, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, and Los Angeles County for allegedly failing to purge noncitizens.
McCotter sent a password-protected thumb drive with 20,000 names and a two-day review deadline.
County Registrar Dean Logan refused to open the drive, citing security protocols and lack of jurisdiction.

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