Judge Denies DOJ Bid to Stop Processing California Ballots

U.S. District Judge David Carter, a Clinton appointee, denied the Justice Department's emergency request to segregate ballots for 20,000 individuals the federal government says are likely noncitizens ahead of the midterm elections. In his 26-page ruling Wednesday evening, Carter called the request unprecedented and warned that segregating votes could cause lasting harm and disenfranchise eligible voters.

California officials argued the DOJ list is unreliable, citing a Los Angeles County analysis showing many listed individuals lack active voter registrations. The DOJ has appealed the denial and may seek an emergency order from the 9th Circuit. The accuracy of the federal list remains disputed, as USCIS officials contest the county's finding that some listed individuals were U.S.-born.