The U.S. Department of Justice has sent formal letters to election officials in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., giving them five days to explain how they comply with federal voter eligibility laws ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Signed by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, the letters warn that officials who knowingly fail to enforce federal election laws or permit unlawful voting, including the counting of ballots cast by noncitizens, could face civil or criminal penalties.

The Department of Justice threatened to take legal action over supposed noncitizen voters.

The head of the DOJ's civil rights division is warning state election officials of "potential criminal penalties" for those who fail to keep noncitizens from voting.