The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to temporarily block lower-court rulings that denied its request to segregate more than 20, 000 California mail-in ballots cast by people it says are likely not U. S. citizens.
The DOJ argues the limited injunction would preserve the ballots while their eligibility is investigated, without canceling any votes. California and the federal government dispute whether the ballots are unlawful.
The 9 th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the request, with Judge Patrick Bumatay dissenting. The case remains under review, and the DOJ is seeking relief while the dispute proceeds.
This is a breaking news report. Check back here for updates.
Fox News' Shannon Bream and Bill Mears contributed to this report.