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Oct 29, 2026

Federal judge blocks Justice Department from threatening election officials over noncitizen voting claims

A federal judge issued a sweeping emergency order halting the Trump administration from threatening or intimidating election officials with criminal prosecution over disputed voter eligibility claims, just days before the midterm elections.

Oct 29, 20265 sources

Top claims

▪U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson ruled that the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security likely violated the Voting Rights Act's prohibition on voter intimidation
▪The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Justice Department's emergency request to set aside ballots from more than 20,000 California voters suspected of being noncitizens
▪Since May 2025, the Justice Department has filed 31 lawsuits seeking sensitive voter records from states, 27 of which have been dismissed

Subtopics

2026 U.S. midterm elections1 Elections1 Federal noncitizen voting ban1 Judiciary1 Trump administration1 Trump administration legal battles1 U.S. voting rights1 US midterm elections1 Voting Rights Act1 Washington D.C.1

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