Leadership at the Department of Justice is escalating the Trump administration’s fight with California over suspected illegal voting, directing top federal prosecutors to pursue criminal subpoenas of local and state officials.

At least four election workers in California have received federal criminal grand jury subpoenas within the last week, CalMatters reported. At least one of these subpoenas was delivered on Thursday, after a federal judge rejected the DOJ’s request that California set aside mail-in ballots associated with over 20,000 registered voters whose citizenship the Trump administration has called into question.

A subpoena sent to three election employees at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s office requested records on how the department stops non-citizens from voting as well as "records relating to or involving evidence collected by your agency which tends to indicate an alien has voted in a federal election." An official in Orange County received a similar subpoena, local media reported.

JUDGE REJECTS DOJ REQUEST TO BLOCK CALIFORNIA FROM IMMEDIATELY COUNTING BALLOTS LINKED TO ALLEGED NONCITIZENS

"This court believes it would be wise that any threats to state or county employees cease immediately," the judge said during court proceedings. "These threats must stop," he wrote in his Wednesday decision.

A Justice Department spokesperson pushed back against characterizations that the administration was targeting individuals with subpoenas, noting that receiving a subpoena doesn’t mean you are a target and that the DOJ generally doesn’t subpoena targets.

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"To be clear, the district court judge explained that voting unlawfully results in criminal exposure. Consistent with this, California also wrote in its filing that the remedy for unlawful voting is through criminal prosecution," Justice Department spokeswoman Kiersten Pels said in an emailed statement. "Thus, while DOJ maintains that a civil remedy is still available, all agree that noncitizen voting is properly addressed through criminal law."

She declined to comment on the "alleged grand jury subpoenas," citing departmental policy.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CHARGES 16 ACROSS MULTIPLE STATES WITH ALLEGED ILLEGAL VOTING, ELECTION CRIMES

The DOJ’s clash with California is part of a broader effort undertaken by the Trump administration to prove widespread voter fraud. While the administration has turned up a number of examples of non-citizens registered to vote in federal elections, it has yet to prove widespread illegal voting.

The DOJ has appealed the decision blocking it from compelling California to separate ballots associated with more than 20,000 registered voters it suspects may be noncitizens. Many of these ballots, however, have already been cast by early voters and anonymized, making it virtually impossible to identify them.

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The California governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Friday.

A dual U.S.-Salvadoran citizen from California accused of murdering a woman in front of their toddler son before abandoning the child near her remains has been extradited to El Salvador to face charges, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday.

Michael Alejandro Castillo Murga, 27, of Beaumont, California, was handed over to Salvadoran authorities Wednesday to face charges of aggravated femicide and imperfect homicide in the 2019 killing.

The extradition marks the first time the U.S. has surrendered an American citizen to face prosecution for crimes committed in El Salvador, according to the DOJ. 

Castillo Murga holds dual U.S. and Salvadoran citizenship.

AMERICAN WHO FLED US AFTER ALLEGEDLY KILLING PREGNANT WIFE COULD RETURN WITHIN DAYS WITH MURDER CHARGE DROPPED

Salvadoran authorities allege Castillo Murga picked up Melvi Fernanda Nájera Quezada, 23, and their son from her mother's home Jan. 31, 2019, supposedly to begin living together as a family.

Investigators allege he instead killed Nájera Quezada and abandoned their child near her body, which was discovered near a highway the next day. 

An autopsy determined she died from severe bleeding caused by cuts to her neck and other wounds inflicted with a plastic knife, according to the DOJ.

Farmworkers discovered the boy, who was younger than 2, several days later in a rugged area near where his mother's body was found. He was severely dehydrated and starving with cuts on his face, insect bites and signs of abuse, authorities said.

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Investigators linked Castillo Murga to the killing through cellphone location data and witness accounts. Authorities also said he sent his girlfriend a photograph showing bloodstains on his face and neck.

Prosecutors also accused Castillo Murga's grandmother and a lawyer of helping conceal evidence. According to the DOJ, the pair arranged for two people to clean blood from the interior and exterior of Castillo Murga's vehicle using water, car shampoo and vinegar, but they were unable to remove all the blood.

Castillo Murga escaped to Guatemala around Feb. 2, 2019, with assistance from his grandmother and lawyer before eventually entering the U.S., according to prosecutors.

MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING WIFE ON WEDDING NIGHT BROUGHT BACK TO US AFTER YEARS ON THE RUN IN MEXICO

U.S. Marshals arrested him in October 2024 in response to an extradition request from El Salvador.

Castillo Murga challenged his extradition in federal court, but a judge rejected his petition in November 2025 and denied a subsequent request to halt the transfer in September 2026.

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The secretary of state ultimately authorized his surrender, and U.S. Marshals transported him into Salvadoran custody Wednesday to face prosecution.

An election integrity expert raised concerns Wednesday about California and Washington after the Justice Department identified thousands of suspected noncitizen voter registrations, including cases in which residents told officials they were not U.S. citizens yet were still registered to vote.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, J. Christian Adams, president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, blamed the states’ automatic voter registration systems and local officials’ refusal to use available federal tools to verify citizenship.

"Noncitizens are getting on the rolls all over the country through the motor voter program. They're going into (the) DMV. Sometimes they're even telling the DMV they’re not citizens, and states are still registering them to vote," Adams said.

"That's why aliens are getting on the rolls in states like Washington and California that have automatic voter registration."

FEDERAL OFFICIALS IDENTIFY 400 NONCITIZENS REGISTERED TO VOTE IN WASHINGTON STATE: 'TIP OF THE ICEBERG'

California and Washington both require U.S. citizenship to register to vote, though their automatic voter registration systems differ. California DMV customers who indicate they are eligible to vote can be automatically registered, while Washington's automatic registration through the Department of Licensing is tied to transactions requiring proof of U.S. citizenship, such as obtaining an enhanced driver's license or ID.

However, federal officials said they identified more than 20,000 likely noncitizens on California voter rolls, many with addresses in Los Angeles County, and more than 400 suspected cases in Washington. The findings come just ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Washington Secretary of State Steve R. Hobbs pushed back against the Justice Department on Wednesday, criticizing its findings for containing "several glaring deficiencies."

The list included U.S. citizens and individuals who are not currently registered to vote, Hobbs said.

"Without individualized proof of ineligibility, it would be both irresponsible and illegal for election officials to decline to process a registered voter’s ballot. If you have individualized proof, I invite you to provide it so election officials can take appropriate steps that are consistent with federal and state law," Hobbs said. 

The California secretary of state also pushed back last week, saying a review of the DOJ’s data on Los Angeles County found "significant accuracy problems with their sweeping claims."

"At best, this litigation is a reckless political stunt. At worst, it threatens to disenfranchise thousands of Californians this election," the office said. 

DOJ HAS VERIFIED 20,000 NONCITIZENS ON CALIFORNIA VOTER ROLLS, FEDERAL PROSECUTOR SAYS

Adams also blamed election officials for refusing to use the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to identify noncitizens on voter rolls.

He described SAVE as the "best database there is for aliens" that is "just sitting there waiting for them to use."

"They don't want to check. They don't have to check. Federal law doesn't require them to check. What federal law does is make data available through the SAVE database at DHS," Adams said.

Hobbs criticized the DOJ’s reliance on the SAVE database, calling it "unreliable" and arguing that the absence of a citizenship record does not establish immigration status.

"It cannot rely on the mere absence of a name from the SAVE database or the department’s assertions based on the vague and untested methodology described in the lawsuit against California," Hobbs said.

MORE THAN A QUARTER-MILLION NONCITIZENS MAY BE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN 4 KEY STATES, DHS ALLEGES

As a result of lax regulations, Adams said his team has identified major voter roll issues in California beyond noncitizen registration, including duplicate registrations and registrations associated with deceased residents.

"It's what we expect now from California because partisan politics has taken over election administration in that state," he said.

"They think it's part of the program to disenfranchise people if they check citizenship, but it's not," he added. "They're saying that everything's fine here. ‘Don't look at us. We're as good as it can be,’ But the reality is they're really not using the data that are available to keep the rolls clean."

DOJ THREATENS EMERGENCY LEGAL ACTION AGAINST CALIFORNIA OVER SUSPECTED NONCITIZEN VOTERS

Other states, including Florida and North Carolina, have used the SAVE database and found fewer issues, according to Adams, contrasting their approach with California and Washington.

While the Justice Department's disclosure marks a rare public accounting of suspected noncitizen voter registrations, Adams said the findings will likely not affect the upcoming midterm elections.

Audits usually happen during off-election years when there is sufficient time for legal review, according to Adams. Waiting until just before an election in an even-numbered year can result in courts dismissing challenges due to "laches," a legal principle that penalizes someone for waiting too long without a valid reason to file a legal claim.

"There's very little you can do right before an election. That's why the hard work in these cases is in odd-numbered years, not in October or even-numbered years. So, you really have to do this stuff early, or you could lose on what's called laches," he said.

Despite the timing, Adams, who worked in the DOJ’s Voting Section more than a decade ago, applauded the department for taking the matter seriously.

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"Nobody took noncitizen registration seriously until now. And that's a welcome change," he said.

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter on Wednesday rejected the Justice Department's emergency request to force California to set aside mail-in ballots associated with more than 20,000 registered voters whose citizenship the Trump administration has questioned, ruling that the last-minute intervention would disrupt an election already underway.

The over 20,000 voters identified by Department of Justice officials as "likely aliens" were designated as such after Homeland Security Investigations and federal partners "used multiple data-enrichment and verification methods" to flag potential noncitizens on California’s voter rolls. California officials, however, disputed the list's accuracy, citing a preliminary review that identified U.S.-born individuals and voters with no voting history among those flagged.

Carter, a Clinton appointee, ruled that the Justice Department's last-minute effort to intervene in California's election violated constitutional and federal-law constraints, while questioning the reliability of the government's evidence that the flagged voters were noncitizens.

"The district court denied our emergency request to sequester ballots from 20,000 suspected noncitizens," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "This ongoing emergency disenfranchises American citizens through dilution. The Solicitor General authorized an immediate appeal. We filed our Notice of Appeal and will immediately seek an emergency order from the Ninth Circuit."

NINTH CIRCUIT QUESTIONS TRUMP DOJ'S EMERGENCY REQUEST TO SET ASIDE 20,000 CALIFORNIA MAIL BALLOTS

The Trump administration has suffered a string of defeats in election-related cases in the lead-up to the midterm elections, raising questions whether the administration will be able to deliver on its promises of improved election integrity ahead of the 2028 presidential election. President Donald Trump and other administration officials have repeatedly raised concerns about widespread voter fraud in U.S. elections, though those claims have not been supported by evidence demonstrating fraud on such a broad scale.

California election officials argued that complying with the Justice Department's request would be virtually impossible because county election offices had already processed more than 500,000 ballots, separating them from identifying information and preventing officials from reliably linking those votes to individual voters.

Carter warned that the requested intervention would "wreak havoc and disrupt the election that is already underway," though he noted that federal authorities were free to pursue individual voting fraud cases.

Experts were divided along ideological lines in the case.

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Hans von Spakovsky, an election expert at Advancing American Freedom, a Mike Pence-affiliated think tank, criticized California for refusing to comply with the DOJ’s request.

"It tells you something very revealing and unfortunately badly revealing about California officials that they don’t even want to check," von Spakovsky told The Center Square. "In California, for example, they have automatic voter registration. When you go in to get a driver’s license, they don’t ask you, ‘Would you also like to register to vote?’ The state of California just automatically registers you, and when you ask them, they say, ‘Well, it’s up to the individuals to tell us they’re not eligible to vote.’"

BIDEN-APPOINTED JUDGE BLOCKS VOTER-FRAUD PROBES IN BATTLEGROUND STATES JUST DAYS BEFORE MIDTERMS

Rick Hasen, a University of California, Los Angeles, election-law professor, meanwhile, called the Justice Department’s request a "total overreach of federal power," arguing that "the Constitution’s clear that states have the authority to run Congressional elections unless Congress passes a statute otherwise — and Congress didn’t do so here."

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The California governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Thursday.

The California Post endorses Steve Hilton for governor.

Hilton has run an impressive and bold campaign.

The Republican has introduced new ideas that even some Democrats have embraced, like allowing Californians to pay no taxes on income up to $150,000.

STEVE HILTON BLASTS DEMOCRATS FOR MAKING CALIFORNIA UNAFFORDABLE AFTER 16 YEARS OF UNCHECKED POWER

He has also urged California to lower fuel prices by getting rid of high gas taxes and the costly "green energy" policies that add massive costs to household budgets without doing anything for the planet.

On housing, Hilton has urged California to build out, not up, returning to the single-family homes that people want — not ugly high-rises.

STEVE HILTON LAUNCHES AD MOCKING XAVIER BECERRA'S '36 YEARS' AS A CAREER POLITICIAN IN CALIFORNIA GOV RACE

And Hilton has stood up to the madness on the transgender issue, defending the rights of girls in sports and the rights of parents to know what is going on with their children.

Despite the odds stacked against him, Hilton has worked tirelessly across the state, even going to Skid Row and "fentanyl alley" to show the consequences of decades of bad policy in Sacramento.

BLUE STATE SCHOOL DISTRICT ACCUSED OF DEFYING SUPREME COURT, HIDING GENDER TRANSITIONS FROM PARENTS

His opponent, Democrat Xavier Becerra, was nobody’s first choice in the primary. Even former Obama administration staffers were appalled that he might move ahead to the general election.

Close Obama advisor Susan Rice once called Becerra an idiot, a remark she did not deny even when backing her party’s nominee.

$104,200 SALARY IN ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA CONSIDERED 'LOW-INCOME' BY STATE OFFICIALS

Becerra is simply an empty suit. He has failed upwards his entire political career.

Becerra was a do-nothing congressman in Washington. Then he became California’s attorney general when Kamala Harris left, despite his dormant law license. He was invisible as Joe Biden’s HHS secretary, and has no real achievements to speak of, despite decades of involvement in politics.

TRUMP-BACKED HILTON ADVANCES TO CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GENERAL ELECTION

The stakes could not be higher. The California dream is falling apart.

Yes, we still have the fourth-biggest economy in the world. But we also lead the nation in poverty and homelessness.

HOUSING FIRST IS A DISASTER. I SAW SACRAMENTO'S HOMELESS CHAOS FIRSTHAND

Businesses that started here are leaving the state, taking jobs with them. That’s especially true in Hollywood, which is losing tens of thousands of jobs.

For 16 years, Democrats have done whatever they wanted to in California, and the results are a disaster.

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We have watched the California dream being trampled by the politics of extremism, envy and division. Our big cities have been trashed by rioters. And now socialists want to take over.

While our politicians lecture us about climate change, they allow hundreds of thousands of acres to burn in wildfires every year, erasing all the gains in emissions, and causing untold misery to tens of thousands of homeowners.

Fraud is rampant throughout our government programs, even as spending is out of control.

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Our infrastructure is crumbling, our schools are failing and nobody in Sacramento seems to want to do anything about it.

We are seeing the results of nearly two decades of one-party misrule. And the Democrats have given us a candidate who promises to change nothing.

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As Becerra said during the recent debate: the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result.

This year, California voters have a real choice.

In his final weeks in office, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is reportedly considering commuting the sentences of the state's 563 death row inmates to life in prison without the possibility of parole, a potential move that has sparked fierce backlash from law enforcement officials and victim advocacy groups who argue it undermines justice for victims of violent crime.

"Baby killers, cop killers, spree killers and serial killers have all found an ally in Gavin Newsom," Marc Klaas told Fox News Digital.

Klaas is the father of Polly Klaas, a 12-year-old girl kidnapped and murdered in 1993.

Just two months after taking office, Newsom, a Democrat, placed a moratorium on executions and dismantled the execution chamber at San Quentin State Prison. California has not executed an inmate since 2006.

POLLY KLAAS' FATHER CALLS GOV. NEWSOM ‘A PIG’ FOR DEATH PENALTY MORATORIUM

"Governor Newsom has been clear about his position on the death penalty since his first year in office, when he ordered a moratorium on executions," a Newsom spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "He believes the intentional killing of another person is wrong."

LAWYERS, EXPERTS URGE TENNESSEE GOVERNOR TO COMMUTE CHRISTA PIKE’S SENTENCE AFTER BOTCHED EXECUTION

Speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, "This is Gavin Newsom," the governor reflected on his moral stance.

"I have to prepare for my own conscience, my rocking chair test," he said.

Conversations began to swirl in Newsom's circle following Tennessee’s botched execution of Christa Pike, The New York Times reported. Pike is back in prison after surviving two doses of the execution drug pentobarbital on Sept. 30.

For Klaas, whose daughter’s killer, Richard Allen Davis, remains on death row, a blanket commutation would deny families the justice recommended by juries and imposed by judges.

"We have been working within the system. We've done everything that's been asked of us," Klaas said. "Most of us have attended every day of the trial and waited, oftentimes for decades like we have, watching unsuccessful appeal after unsuccessful appeal."

'THRILL KILLER' AND DESERT EXECUTIONER — MEET THE DOZENS OF CRIMINALS DEM AG BACKED FOR PAROLE: 'NO BRAINER'

"It's unbelievable that he would side with the most heinous individuals in our society," Klaas added, noting that death row inmates are receiving a level of consideration they never granted their victims.

Klaas recalled once confronting Newsom directly.

"He knew full well that Richard Allen Davis had killed my child," he said. "I tried to argue with him, and he said he doesn't want to be the guy who executes an innocent man, nor does he want to be the guy executing 30 people a month until they're all gone — neither of which was ever going to happen."

California voters have repeatedly affirmed support for capital punishment. In 2016, voters rejected Proposition 62, which sought to repeal the death penalty, while narrowly approving Proposition 66 to expedite the appeals process.

NEWSOM BLASTED BY SHERIFF IN HIS OWN BACKYARD OVER CALIFORNIA CRIME AS VICTIMS CRY FOUL

Law enforcement officials and prosecutors statewide have voiced strong opposition to the potential commutations.

"This would be a second major affront to California voters’ decision on the death penalty," said Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes.

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In a letter to Newsom, San Luis Obispo District Attorney Dan Dow warned that a blanket commutation would be a "slap in the face" to murder victims and their surviving families.

"Justice is always individualized. It depends on the particular facts and circumstances of each crime, each defendant, and each victim," Dow wrote. "In our justice system, every victim deserves to be treated equally, fairly, and with dignity and respect. The government of California is ‘We, the People,’ not one person overruling the voters in every capital case at once."

Klaas argued that rather than focusing on capital punishment, Newsom should direct his energy toward pressing state issues.

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"Governor Newsom should tackle the homeless problem, the highest utility rates in the country, and the highest gas rates in the country," Klaas said. "Go after the things that actually mean something and benefit everyday people — not the worst individuals in society."

A federal judge rejected the Justice Department’s request for a temporary restraining order that would have barred California from counting mail ballots from more than 20,000 alleged noncitizen voters, saying the election "is already underway."

U.S. District Judge David Carter, in a ruling issued late Wednesday night after a hearing in Los Angeles, said the government's request "would wreak havoc and disrupt the election that is already underway, create a chilling effect on election workers and voters alike, and discount the votes of United States citizens."

The Justice Department immediately appealed the decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

CALIFORNIA MUST RESPOND TO DOJ'S EMERGENCY REQUEST OVER BALLOTS MAILED TO ALLEGED NONCITIZENS, COURT RULES

"The district court denied our emergency request to sequester ballots from 20,000 suspected noncitizens," U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli wrote on X. "Every day, more ballots are processed by election officials. This ongoing emergency disenfranchises American citizens through dilution. The Solicitor General authorized an immediate appeal. We filed our Notice of Appeal and will immediately seek an emergency order from the Ninth Circuit."

NEWSOM SPARS WITH TRUMP-APPOINTED PROSECUTOR OVER 20,000 SUSPECTED NONCITIZENS ON VOTER ROLLS

California mails ballots to all 23 million of its registered voters. More than 3.7 million people have already voted in the state, including more than 500,000 ballots already processed this week with the ballot already out of the envelope, according to court filings.

It would be impossible to know which ballot belonged to a particular voter now, according to Los Angeles County officials.

BLANCHE WON'T RULE OUT DOJ BLOCKING ELECTION CERTIFICATION IN 'DOOMSDAY' SCENARIO

"Eroded trust in our democracy is irreparable," Judge Carter, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, wrote. "Once a vote is segregated, lasting harm has occurred. If the Executive can discount votes and threaten an ongoing election due to unproven allegations, then our democracy is in danger. This Court declines to be a party to such process."

STATE DEPARTMENT CONSIDERS SHARING PASSPORT RECORDS FOR VOTER CITIZENSHIP CHECKS

Carter said that "states have control over their elections," but the federal government claims it has evidence the state refuses to accept that there are 20,000 noncitizens registered to vote in the state of California.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted that states are not doing enough to stop noncitizens from voting, which he says is widespread.

Carter said the Justice Department never explained why counting ballots would impair any prosecutions under the law, and California said the DOJ's assertions relied on "suspect data."

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CHARGES 16 ACROSS MULTIPLE STATES WITH ALLEGED ILLEGAL VOTING, ELECTION CRIMES

"There are no mysterious databases; this was laid out in publicly filed declarations," Essayli wrote Wednesday night on X. "Voter rolls were compared to USCIS immigration, Social Security, and passport records. We are not changing the rules mid-election, we are enforcing them. It’s unlawful for noncitizens to vote."

Registered voters can self-declare to be noncitizens to get removed from the voter roll, and do so while they are seeking naturalization or saying they are ineligible for jury duty.

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In Washington state, the Justice Department on Monday sent a letter asking officials not to count any ballots received from 400 voters it claims are not citizens. Washington had 5 million registered voters as of 2024, state records show.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.