The federal government filed a lawsuit against California regarding voter rolls during the ongoing election.

Posted by The John Phillips Show, Oct 17, 2026Checked Nov 2, 2026

Polygraph verdictTrue

Sources: 6 support3 context
Said: 1 time·
Confidence: 95%

The John Phillips ShowOct 17, 2026

The federal government (the Trump Justice Department) filed a lawsuit against California election officials on October 15, 2026, over the state's refusal to set aside mail ballots from about 20,000 people flagged as likely noncitizens on voter rolls.

A played clip makes this claim. Listeners heard it, so it counts against the post.

This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.

What was said

… No, nobody wants to open up the document that the federal government said, "Here's the list of people. Can you check this out?" I think suggests bad faith. They're bringing this case now, in the middle of an ongoing election here in California. At the same time, they're also doing immigration enforcement with a surge in California, I think to intimidate, um, uh, people from going to the polls, because they are well, I don't understand that either. You have to be a citizen to vote, so what is it matter of immigration enforcement is at a polling place? …

The John Phillips Show · Oct 17, 2026· from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Supports. AP reports that the Trump administration sued California election officials on Thursday, October 15, 2026, to block the state from counting alleged noncitizen mail-in ballots ahead of the November 3 midterms.[1]

Supports. Politico reports that DOJ sued California on October 15, 2026, demanding the state act on a list of 20,000 people it alleges may be noncitizens registered to vote, with Secretary of State Shirley Weber and LA County's Dean Logan as defendants.[3]

Supports. The federal court case record lists United States v. State of California, No. 2:26-cv-12025 (C.D. Cal.), filed October 15, 2026, concerning alleged noncitizens on California's voter rolls in the November 2026 election.[4]

Supports. ABC News and CNN both report the DOJ lawsuit against California filed October 15, 2026, over alleged noncitizens on voter rolls and mail ballots for the upcoming midterm election.[5][6][7]

Context. The claim's extraction is faithful to the passage, which says the case was brought 'now, in the middle of an ongoing election here in California.' Later developments (a Ninth Circuit appeal argued October 25 and a separate civil rights suit filed October 28) do not change the October 17 status.[2][8][9]

Sources

9 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 1 tier 2, 6 not rated

1Trump administration sues California over voter rolls | AP Newsapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
2US appeals court appears skeptical of Trump DOJ's lawsuit over California voter rollsreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
3DOJ sues California, demands it purge voter rolls for ...politico.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
4Case: United States v. State of Californiaclearinghouse.net · not rated · cited for: supports
5DOJ sues California over alleged non-citizens on voter rollsgoodmorningamerica.com · not rated · cited for: supports
6Trump admin files ‘long shot’ lawsuit after California wouldn’t open a thumb drive of alleged non-citizens | CNN Politicsus.cnn.com · not rated · cited for: supports
7DOJ sues California over alleged non-citizens on voter rollsabcnews.com · not rated · cited for: supports
8Federal appeals court hears arguments in Trump administration's ...abc7.com · not rated · cited for: context
9Groups sue over federal voter list and California ballotssacbee.com · not rated · cited for: context

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The John Phillips Show · Oct 17, 2026Post →

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