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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Rachel Leingang

Trump administration threatens states with criminal charges in elections fight

a woman speaks into a microphone
Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights, speaks at the justice department in Washington DC on 7 August 2025. Photograph: Kent Nishimura/Reuters

The US Department of Justice sent letters to election officials in every state threatening potential criminal charges for officials if noncitizens vote, an escalation in an ongoing push by the federal government.

As Donald Trump’s administration pushes to exert greater control over elections, the justice department confirmed letters went out to all 50 states and the District of Columbia, “asking for voluntary compliance in a timely manner with their obligations under federal law to ensure only citizens vote in federal elections”.

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