Judge orders Trump admin to stop threatening election officials over voter fraud claims

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to cease issuing criminal threats against state and local election officials regarding how they handle ballot processing, according to the BBC ^[1]. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson in California, directs the Department of Justice to stop demanding that officials set aside or not process certain ballots alleged to come from non-citizens.

The decision arrives just days before the midterm elections, which will determine control of the US Congress for the final two years of Donald Trump's presidency. Judge Thompson stated that while the administration claims its actions aim to halt unlawful voting, they are likely interfering with election administration and disenfranchising lawful voters, the BBC reported ^[1].

In response, the Justice Department appealed the order to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, according to NBC News ^[2]. The appeal seeks to overturn an eight-page order that prohibits actions threatening or coercing election workers to halt processing ballots solely based on allegations of ineligibility. Judge Thompson noted that high-ranking DOJ and DHS officials have engaged in a campaign to intimidate officials in the lead-up to the election, NBC News stated.

The conflict stems from letters sent by the DOJ to election officials in 57 of California’s 58 counties, directing them to cooperate with investigations into alleged illegal voting or face investigations themselves, the BBC noted ^[1]. In one instance, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli attached a list of 1,133 "likely aliens" registered in San Bernardino County and requested segregation of their vote-by-mail ballots, NBC News reported ^[2]. The administration also sent similar letters to Washington state, demanding the secretary of state cease processing specific ballots.

Trump criticized the ruling on social media, asking, "Why would they reject fixing Election Fraud?" and vowing to continue fighting for "Election Integrity," the BBC said ^[1]. The administration’s push relies on allegations of rampant voter fraud, particularly regarding non-citizens and postal voting. However, research cited by BBC Verify indicates that actual cases of non-citizen voting are extremely rare, with the Heritage Foundation’s database identifying only 24 convictions between 2005 and 2025.

Judge Thompson’s order extends through November 16, nearly two weeks after Election Day. Civil rights groups and election worker unions filed the legal complaint, accusing the DOJ of interfering with their duty to administer the election. The administration has not yet commented on the specific appeal details beyond confirming the filing.