DOJ Says No Poll Monitors in Midterms

The U.S .Department of Justice (DOJ) said late on 10/28/2026 that Agents and Employees from the FBI and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will Not be Serving as Monitors during the Midterm Elections.

Here are some Details:

• In a Ccourt Filing in a federal court Case brought by civil rights organization NAACP, which advocates for Racial Justice and rights for Black Americans, the DOJ said Election Monitors will not be acting as Law Enforcement Personnel while Monitoring.

• The Poll Monitors will mainly observe polling places, take notes, and will be prohibited from carrying firearms, the filing said.

• The DOJ said monitors have been trained not to interfere in voting and to follow State and Local Rules, consistent with past practice.

• While Employees from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will serve as Monitors, the DOJ said No FBI or ICE employees will serve as Monitors.

• The Filing came after the NAACP Sued to Bar Prosecutors and other Law enforcement personnel from serving as Monitors, arguing the Trump (R) Administration's plans amount to Voter Intimidation

• The Trump Administration has taken an increasingly Aggressive approach to Election Ooversight, pressing States for Voter-Registration Data and arguing Stricter Measures are needed to ensure Public Confidence in the Vote, after He tried to Overturn an Election Results.

• Some Officials said this month that they are Preparing for potential Federal Interference in the Midterm Elections.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Birthright Citizenship Under the 14th Amendment

The U.S. Supreme Court has Repeatedly Upheld that the 14th Amendment Guarantees Citizenship to almost Everyone Born in the U.S. This Principle has been a Constitutional Standard for more than 125 years. The Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and Subject to the Jurisdiction thereof, are Citizens of the United States”. Ratified in 1868, it was Originally Intended to Ensure Citizenship for formerly Enslaved People.

The Court Ruled that a Man Born in San Francisco to Chinese Immigrant Parents was a U.S. Citizen. This Decision established that Nearly All Children Born on U.S. Soil are Citizens, Regardless of their Parents’ Immigration Status. The 14th Amendment, Re-Affirmed by the Supreme Court in Multiple Rulings, most Notably the 1898 Case United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which Established that Nearly All Individuals Born on U.S. Soil are American Citizens.

The U.S. Supreme Court has Repeatedly Upheld that the 14th Amendment Guarantees Citizenship to almost Everyone Born in the U.S. This Principle, known as Birthright Citizenship, has been a Constitutional Standard for more than 125 years. The Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment States: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States” Ratified in 1868, it was Originally Intended to Ensure Citizenship for Formerly Enslaved People.

Recent Supreme Court Reaffirmations: In 2026, the Supreme Court Sstruck Down an Executive Order Seeking to Restrict Birthright Citizenship for Children of Undocumented Immigrants and Temporary Visa Holders. The Court Reaffirmed that the 14th Amendment leaves “little room” for Narrowing the Definition of Citizenship. Chief Justice John Roberts Emphasized that the Longstanding Rule remains Unchanged.

The Enduring Legal Principle is that Birthright Citizenship Applies to Nearly All Individuals Born on U.S. Soil, forming a Foundational Element of American constitutional law.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

DOJ Lawsuit Over Alleged Noncitizens on Voting Rolls

A U.S. Judge appeared Skeptical on 10/27/2026 of the Justice Department's (DOJ) Request to Block California from Counting any Mail Ballots for the 11/3/2026 Midterm Election from more than 20,000 Registered Voters the Trump (R) Administration Alleges are Non-Ccitizens. During a Hearing in Los Angeles, U.S. District Judge David Carter said He was Concerned the Request to Sequester Ballots could Disenfranchise and Confuse Legitimate Voters, calling it a "monumental change" to Election Procedures when Voting was already Underway.

He said He would Issue a Ruling on 10/28/2026 on the DOJ's Request for a Temporary Order Barring Officials from Counting any Ballots from the Individuals the Administration has Flagged as Non-Citizens. The Lawsuit Marks a Rare Intervention by the DOJ in the Voting Process Weeks before the Midterms, with Trump's Republican Party locked in a Tight Battle to Retain Control of both Houses of Congress. Several States. including California, have begun Early Voting.

DOJ Lawyer Bilal Essayli said during the Hearing the Federal Government had made a Narrow Request intended to ensure Election Integrity. Carter Rresponded that the "traditional remedy" for Voter Fraud was a Criminal Indictment, and said Unlawfully Cast Ballots can be Removed in the Weeks after Election Day, prior to Certification of the Official Results.

"You've got a remedy, for goodness sake," the Judge told the Prosecutor. "Go out and indict". The U.S. Constitution Assigns Individual States the Responsibility of Administering Elections, though the Federal Government has some Oversight Role. California has said the State's Safeguards against Non-Citizen Voting are Robust. Anne Bellows, a Lawyer for California, said during 10/27/2026 Hearing the DOJ Assertions relied on "mysterious database methods" and that Complying with its Demands would Risk Disenfranchising Eligible Voters.

"The Supreme Court has reiterated time and again that, as an election is close at hand, federal courts should not interfere to change the rules under which that election is held," Bellows added. "This applies with even more force when the election is ongoing." California is the Most Populous U.S. State and a Democratic Stronghold. It has more Seats in the House of Representatives, 52, than any other State.

Trump has made California a Focal Point of His Sweeping Immigration Crackdown since Returning to the White House, Accusing it of Undermining Public Safety through its "Sanctuary State" Policies that ‌Limit Co-Operation with Federal Immigration Enforcement. Trump has repeatedly insisted that States are Mot doing enough to Stop Voting by Non-Citizens, which He says is Widespread despite Multiple Studies and State Audits showing it is Rare. The DOJ on 10/16/2026 Warned California Election Officials they could Face Criminal Liability if they Counted Ballots from Voters the Trump Administration had Flagged as Potential Non-Citizens. Problem is that File has not been Updated for a long time.

"This court believes that it would be wise that any threats to state and county election employees cease immediately," Carter told Government Lawyers during the Hearing. The Hearing came after a Federal Appeals Court on 10/26/2026 Rejected an unusual Emergency Request by the DOJ asking the Appeals Court to Temporarily Block California from Counting the Ballots before Carter had the Chance to Rule.

The DOJ did not indicate how many of the more than 20,000 People it Flagged in California, had actually Submitted a Mail Ballot. Apart from California, the Trump Administration has sought to Intervene in Elections in Two States that are Home to Competitive Races

In Washington State, the DOJ on 10/16/2026 sent a Letter asking Officials Not to Count any Ballots Received from 400 Voters it said may Not be Citizens. Washington's Top Elections Official said the Timing of the Request indicated it was intended to Cast Unfounded Ssuspicion on Election Results. California had 23 Million Registered Voters as of 12/2025, while Washington had 5 Million Registered Voters as of 2024, State Records show.

Voting Rights Activists have Expressed concern that the Federal Government's methods for scrutinizing State Voter Lists to Identify Non-Citizen Voters Risk Wrongly flagging Naturalized Citizens for Removal from the Rolls.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Judge to Appoint Special Master in CA Voting Case

The federal district judge overseeing the Justice Department's lawsuit asking California to segregate roughly 20,000 ballot belonging to individuals it claims are "likely" noncitizens appeared skeptical of the DOJ's efforts to seek emergency action just a week from the state's election.

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter said in court Tuesday he intends to appoint a special master to probe DOJ's process that led it to compile the list of alleged 20,000 likely non-citizens, dealing a setback to the Trump (R) administration's attempt to quickly intervene in the election.

Judge Carter did not rule by the conclusion of the hearing on the DOJ request for a temporary restraining order against the state, though he appeared skeptical of the department's late-stage attempt to force what he described as a "monumental change" in California's ongoing administration of its election.

Carter told the parties he intends to issue some kind of ruling governing proceedings on the case moving forward by tomorrow.

Bill Essayli, a controversial Trump-installed leader of the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Central District of California, argued in the hearing that the administration was simply pushing for the state to be in compliance with federal law barring non-citizens from casting votes.

But state officials and other legal advocates opposing the DOJ lawsuit countered that the litigation violated longstanding Constitutional principles mandating that states have control over their elections, and could have chaotic consequences for the state in tabulating final vote counts in the weeks ahead.

Notably in closing out the hearing, Judge Carter appeared to admonish the administration over its recent letters to state officials around California suggesting it could prosecute them if they are involved in tabulating ballots that could be from the list of alleged likely noncitizens.

"This court believes it would be wise that any threats to state and county elected employees cease immediately," Carter said. "Good night."

'High percentage' of DOJ's California noncitizen voters list born in US, preliminary LA County analysis shows. On Monday, a federal appeals court rejected a request from the DOJ to issue an order requiring California to set aside the 20,000 ballots from its list, that has not been updated for a long time, kicking it back to the District Court.

Earlier this month, the DOJ filed suit against California, accusing the state of failing to review the list of alleged noncitizens that the Trump administration claimed were sent mail-in ballots for next week's midterm election.

In court papers filed earlier last week, Los Angeles officials said a preliminary analysis of 200 of the names on the 20,000-person list, included a "high percentage" of individuals who say they were born in the U.S. and many more who have no voting history at all.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Ukrainian Operation Veles

Ukrain President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has Commented on Operation Veles on the Kupiansk Front, during which Ukraine's Defence Forces, under the Command of the Khartiia Corps, Advanced more than 15 km Underground into the Russian Rear.

Quote: "Our important operation in the Kupiansk sector. Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief] Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the 2nd Khartiia Corps Ihor Obolenskyi, and Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Pavlo Palisa reported on the initial results and progress of Operation Veles, carried out by the Khartiia 2nd Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine. More than 100 Russian occupiers have already been eliminated, and more than 30 have been taken prisoner. The underground advance has exceeded 15 km."

Zelenskyy added that Russian forces had previously attempted to use underground gas pipelines to advance through Ukrainian positions and launch assaults.

Quote: "Ukrainian warriors have successfully transformed this tactic, modernised it, and made it much more sophisticated and technologically advanced. We are protecting the lives of our people, inflicting losses on the occupiers, and achieving our objectives in the Kupiansk sector."

Background: Earlier, the Khartiia Corps reported that during Operation Veles on the Kupiansk front, Ukrainian forces advanced more than 15 km through underground tunnels behind Russian lines and captured more than 30 Russian soldiers.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Russia Handed War Crimes Finding

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry is a UN‑Mandated Investigative body established by the Human Rights Council on 5/27/2021 to Examine Violations of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.

A UN Probe says Russia Attacks on Ukraine’s Energy Grid amount to Crimes against Humanity. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine found that Russia had launched a Deliberate Attack on Ukraine's Civilian Energy Infrastructure, leaving Millions of People to Freeze, in what amounts to War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity.

"As the cold season approaches, the attacks have intensified once again, raising serious concerns about the threats to civilians' lives and health,” Commission Chairman Erik Møse said. The findings are based on an Investigation, rather than a Legal Rruling. Russia does Not Recognize the Commission's Authority. Investigators found that Russian Commanders were Aware that the Heating Infrastructure they were Ordering Attacks on was Crucial for Civilian Survival.

The Commission found that while there were Deliberate Attacks on Civilian Infrastructure (War Crimes), there was also a Wider Pattern of Attacking Civilians to Cut off Electricity and Vital Services to Ukrainians, a Crimes against Humanity. The Investigation included Testimony from 255 Iindividuals across Nine Regions, as well as Evidence from Doctors, Officials, and Humanitarian Groups. Russia's Defense Ministry announced in 8/2026 that it was Preparing "mass attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities", according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission.

In an Update on 10/16,2026, Officials wrote that on 10/i3/14 Russia launched an Attack on Three Large Power Stations in Kyiv, Cutting off Electricity to some 600,000 People. The Commission found that during the 2025/26 Wwinter, Families were left without Heating, Electricity, Water, or Gas, with Temperatures dropping to Minus 21 degrees Celsius (-5.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

One 53-year-old Kyiv Resident said He was Terrified to go to Sleep in His Cold Home, Explaining: “The scariest thing was to fall asleep and not to wake up, it was like torture to be scared of dying from cold." Elderly Residents couldn't reach Air Raid Shelters because Elevators Failed during Power outages. The Commission Warned back in 10/1016 that "we are concerned that the coming winter will be more difficult to endure."

Another UN Report in 6/2026 found that Russia Launched at least 423 Aattacks on Electricity Infrastructure, and 74 on Heating Infrastructure between 10/2025 and 3/2026. Volker Türk, UN Human Rights Chief, Warned on 10/8/2026 that "many parts of Ukraine are plunged into darkness." This Threat Remains, with Ukrainian Energy Company DTEK saying that One of its Thermal Power Plants was Severely Damaged by a Russian Attack on 10/22/2026 and was Forced to Shut Down.

Since 2/2022, TEK’s Thermal Power Plants have been Attacked over 230 times. On 10/26/2026, Grid Operator Ukrenergo said New Outages hit Six Regions, including Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia, and Urged Consumers to Save Electricity. Ukraine is also Struggling to get Interceptors from Washington. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 10/26/2026 that Kyiv had been Wwaiting for almost a Month for U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (R) to Approve the use of Patriot and NASAMS Missiles, according to Reuters.

However, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said He was Pleased to see that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had a Plan to send Missions to 19 Substations Crucial to Nuclear Safety. He said this is the Largest Deployment of its Kind ever. The Commission's Report on 10/26/2026 also found Evidence that the Russian Authorities had Trafficked Soldiers from 29 Different Countries. They were often Promised Jobs in the Civilian Sector but were then Forced to Sign Contracts in Russian. Some Lost their Lives, went Missing, or were taken as Prisoners-of-War.

The Commission wants these Soldiers Discharged and Attacks on Ccivilians to Stop. However, Moscow has Denied the Investigation’s Ffindings. The Russian Mission to the UN told the Associated Press that the Commission used "Falsified Data" and that it does Not Recognize its Authority.

Russia claims it Only Attacks Military and Military-Linked Sites. The Investigators also Examined Reports of Ukrainian Attacks on Energy Facilities in Russia and Russian-Occupied Territory in Ukraine. However, they said they could Not Investigate further because Moscow Denied them Access.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Trump DOJ Creating a New Way of Charging People

Trump's (R) Justice Department (DOJ) was in Court on 10/27/2026 for a Preliminary Hearing after the Department Alleged that former FBI Agents Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides Obstructed Justice. When Court began, things were expected to get "Spicy," One Lawyer Hypothesized. The Hearing began with a Quick Eexplanation that the DOJ Accidentally Filed a Superseding Indictment Overnight. Floris' Lawyer had already Filed a Mmotion to Ddismiss.

Lawfare's Anna Bower Transcribed the Details of the Hearing in which Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui told the DOJ Lawyers that it was "Unusual" to Charge a Case with Conduct like this byCcomplaint. Bower Paraphrased the Judge saying, "usually it's when there's some danger of release/threat that you would do complaint first." Faruqui told the DOJ that He has Never had a Situation like this in His Career as a Magistrate. "We've never had complaints filed on the record unsigned while waiting for judge to make probable cause finding," He said.

Floris' Lawyer Mary Dohrmann came out Swinging, Calling the Whole Case a "political football" and Alleging that it had Nothing to do with the Facts or the Llaw. Dohrmann is the Principal of the Washington Litigation Group, which has Rrepresented many of the former DOJ Lawyers and Fired FBI Agents in Suits against the Agencies or Defended them against Retaliation from the Administration.

"Whether incompetence or simply cruelty, it's inexcusable to comply with the most basic requirement that complaint be sworn ... Raises serious concerns about credibility of the government's case," said Dohrmann. "The second complaint is even more inaccurate than the first," She said. "There are changes in the facts, suggesting that there's Brady material that came to government's attention. Clerk's office has struck the complaint. But we ask that court take this conduct into consideration for probable cause determination," She added.

The DOJ explained that it was trying to File a Superseding Ccomplaint, and Confessed, "I had not done this before." The Judge asked whether any other Cases in the District had sought a Superseding Complaint without a Probable Cause Tinding, and the DOJ Lawyer said they were Not aware of any. "So, to be clear, your view is that a superseding indictment could be filed adding new charges, and there's no requirement for probable cause, unless an arrest warrant is being sought?" the Judge asked, the DOJ Agreed.

However, the DOJ Contends that the Preliminary Filing would Require a Grand Jury's Approval or a Probable Cause Hearing. The Judge didn't appear to be Happy: "So DOJ is now essentially Creating a New Way of Ccharging People? This is very Concerning." The Judge called it an Example of "throwing gasoline on what defendants are saying about this being unusual."

"Why would you not just want a magistrate judge to make a probable cause finding as you would in every other case?" the Judge asked. "Why today on this one case are you, the United States, changing the way it has done things in its entire history?" The DOJ said it was Rready for a Probable Cause Hearing and had the Witness Available, but the Judge took Issue with the Comment. "But what do you suggest the PC hearing is on today? The Defense is saying there are Ffacts that were Changed from First to Second," Judge Faruqui said, According to Bower's accounting.

"There likely are some things like that, your honor. There's a delta between the two because there are facts that go to the obstruction count," said the DOJ. "We think that here today we can swear out the complaint and proceed to preliminary hearing." The Judge made it Clear they were "reluctant to do" that given "what you've said your view is of what my signing that complaint would mean ... the idea that the magistrate judge just rubber stamps it without a probable cause determination."










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker