The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a stern warning to local election officials across California, urging them to assist in identifying noncitizens on voter registration lists. Failure to comply may result in legal repercussions, as outlined in correspondence reviewed by NBC News.

Details of the DOJ’s Communication

On Friday, the DOJ dispatched letters to 57 of California’s 58 counties, marking an aggressive approach by the Trump administration aimed at preventing suspected noncitizens from having their votes counted. A similar threat was made to officials in Los Angeles County the week prior.

The San Bernardino County’s Registrar of Voters, Joani Finwall, received a letter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, which included a list of 1,133 individuals deemed “likely aliens.”

Implications of Noncompliance

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli emphasized the urgency, requesting that the counties commit to a collaboration with the DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) within 48 hours. He stated, “I write to make unmistakably clear the legal implications of continuing to send vote-by-mail ballots to those people on the list or tabulating ballots cast by them until citizenship can be verified.”

For individuals whose citizenship status cannot be confirmed, the letter instructs officials to “segregate — not cancel — those individuals’ vote-by-mail ballots until their citizenship status can be determined.”

Consequences of Facilitating Illegal Voting

Essayli underscored the seriousness of the matter by stating, “The legal consequences for either facilitating or ignoring federal crimes are significant. An alien voting in a federal election is a federal crime — and knowingly facilitating such conduct is equally unlawful.” He warned that any election official who knowingly processes ballots from noncitizens risks facing legal jeopardy.

Response from State Officials

California Senator Alex Padilla voiced concerns regarding the DOJ’s actions, asserting that “Trump’s DOJ has not provided any evidence for their claims of massive voter fraud.” He pointed out that the administration has acknowledged the unreliability of the data it cites. Padilla stated, “No matter how many lawsuits they file or how many election officials they threaten, they do not have the authority to interfere.”

Election Integrity Efforts Ahead of Midterms

The Trump administration is prioritizing efforts to investigate and prevent noncitizen voting as the midterm elections approach, with California as a primary focus. Recently, the administration has sought judicial intervention to block the counting of over 20,000 mail-in ballots suspected to be from individuals lacking U.S. citizenship. On Thursday, it petitioned the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for immediate implementation of these restrictions, pending a lower court decision.