9th Circuit block on California noncitizen voter probe lifted, then restored in legal boomerang

A divided 9th Circuit briefly lifted restrictions on the Trump administration’s investigation of alleged noncitizen voting in California, then restored them hours later and sent the case to all 11 active judges for rehearing. The dispute concerns whether federal officials can press state and local election workers to set aside ballots and threaten prosecution if they refuse.

Labour unions and civil rights groups, including the NAACP and LULAC, say federal letters warning of criminal liability intimidate election officials. The administration says investigating and prosecuting election-law violations are executive functions. The Supreme Court separately rejected its request to require California to hold back ballots from about 20,000 voters flagged by federal officials as likely noncitizens; Attorney General Todd Blanche also announced 63 election-crime charges on Monday.