The Department of Justice’s recent voter fraud investigations in California have drawn criticism for disproportionately targeting immigrants of color, raising concerns about voter suppression ahead of the midterm elections. Critics say the efforts echo historical racialized campaigns and align with a Christian nationalist agenda that prioritizes white voters.

The Department of Homeland Security launched a “surge” involving door-to-door inquiries aimed at uncovering alleged voter fraud among naturalized citizens. These operations, which were largely based on flawed data, prompted multiple lawsuits and court orders that halted the campaign until after November 3. The California Nurses Association and National Nurses United sought legal intervention, citing threats to political organizing and the safety of their members.

In a related move, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit requesting that 20,000 ballots—which it contends were cast by non-citizens—be segregated for further investigation. However, many individuals on the list have been shown to be U.S.-born citizens. California Attorney General Rob Bonta argued that the federal government has not demonstrated harm or shown that state law prohibits defending against such enforcement actions.

Beyond California, organizations including the UCLA Voting Rights Project and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights have filed lawsuits seeking to halt the federal government’s ballot segregation efforts on a national scale.

As the midterm elections draw near, voting rights advocates warn that these measures risk undermining public confidence in the electoral process and could contribute to a constitutional crisis if election results are contested or if elected officials are barred from taking office. These developments are unfolding amid heightened rhetoric linking voter fraud investigations to white nationalist objectives.