Islamabad, 3 November, 2026 (Nosheen): The US Supreme Court has rejected an emergency request by President Donald Trump’s administration to prevent California from counting mail-in ballots cast by more than 20,000 registered voters suspected by federal officials of being non-US citizens. The decision came just hours after the Justice Department filed its request on the eve of the US midterm elections, dealing another setback to the Trump administration. The court issued a brief, one-sentence order without providing an explanation, and no justice publicly dissented. The administration had sought to keep the disputed ballots separate until the citizenship status of the voters could be verified. However, California officials argued that the move could unfairly deprive thousands of eligible citizens of their voting rights, raising concerns about the accuracy of federal voter data. California Governor Gavin Newsom welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, saying it would help protect democracy and ensure free and fair elections in the state. Earlier, a federal district court and the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit had also rejected the administration’s efforts to block the ballots. The lawsuit was filed on October 15, with the Justice Department arguing that California was obstructing the enforcement of federal election laws. The state maintained that it had strong safeguards against noncitizen voting and that the federal government’s allegations were based on potentially inaccurate information. The ruling comes at a crucial time as Republicans seek to retain control of Congress in the midterm elections, while Democrats aim to gain seats in the House of Representatives. California, the most populous US state and a Democratic stronghold, holds 52 seats in the House, making its election results particularly significant in determining the balance of power in Congress.