Ninth Circuit questions Trump DOJ's emergency request to set aside 20,000 California mail ballots

A federal appeals court questioned the Trump administration’s emergency request to force California to set aside mail-in ballots linked to suspected noncitizens. The judges raised concerns about the government’s legal standing and whether the court has jurisdiction to intervene before a lower court rules. The Justice Department argued for immediate action due to the volume of ballots being processed, while California contended that the federal government lacks the power to interfere with state election administration.

• A federal appeals court heard arguments on the Trump administration’s emergency request to isolate mail-in ballots in California suspected of being tied to noncitizens.
• The three-judge panel questioned the legal basis and jurisdictional authority for the Justice Department’s intervention.
• The administration argued that hundreds of thousands of ballots could be processed daily while the dispute is unresolved, emphasizing urgency.
• California argued against federal interference, stating the federal government has no power to intervene in state election administration rules.
• The court is expected to issue a ruling as quickly as possible.