The Department of Homeland Security sent a letter stating that 20,000 people are illegally registered to vote.
Posted by Badlands Media, Checked
- Sources
- 4 contradict1 support
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 55%
Badlands MediaOct 21, 2026
The 20,000 figure is supported: a Justice Department complaint filed October 15, 2026, with DHS/HSI analysis, says more than 20,000 likely noncitizens are registered in California. But the record does not show DHS sending a letter with that figure.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… So when you're going through the process under the NVRA, then you, you, you, you have plausible deniability, right? They attested to being a citizen, but now that DHS has sent them the letter saying 20,000 people are illegally registered, what are you gonna do about it? They can't go with that anymore. Now they have been informed by the federal government that you have potentially 20,000 illegals that have been sent a ballot or are casting a ballot, and if you don't do anything, you are now guilty of 18 USC. Statute two. …
Badlands Media · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. The DHS letter of July 17, 2026 to California's secretary of state gave a figure of as many as 190,832 potential noncitizen registrations, not 20,000.[2][5]
Contradicts. The letters demanding that county registrars sequester roughly 20,000 voters' ballots came from the Justice Department and were sent on Friday, October 23, after the October 21 post, so they are not a DHS letter as of the claim date.[1][4]
Supports. A DOJ press release dated October 15, 2026 says the Justice Department, working with DHS, determined that more than 20,000 people who are likely aliens are registered to vote in California, with Homeland Security Investigations doing the analysis.[3]
Context. Sources describe the 20,000 list as 'likely' or 'may be' noncitizens and note the administration admitted it may not be fully accurate, so 'illegally registered' overstates the record's wording.[3][5]
Sources
5 sources: 1 fact-checker, 2 primary, 1 tier 2, 1 not rated
- 1California election officials frustrated, rattled by DOJ demand to sequester 'noncitizen' ballotsapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: contradicts
- 2DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Sends Letters to Secretaries of State Warning About Non-Citizens on Voter Rollsdhs.gov · primary source · cited for: contradicts
- 3Central District of California | United States Sues ...justice.gov · primary source · cited for: supports, context
- 4California election officials frustrated, rattled by DOJ demand ... - PBSpbs.org · tier 2 · cited for: contradicts
- 5Are noncitizens voting illegally in California? What to know as federal dispute continuesthenewstribune.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts, context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
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