The Justice Department has sent federal grand jury subpoenas to election officials in California, NBC News, Fox News and CBS News report. The department is pursuing claims that noncitizens are on the state's voter rolls.

CBS News says it has seen three of the subpoenas. They went to staff at the Los Angeles County election office. Fox News, citing CalMatters, says at least four election workers in the state have received them. The subpoenas ask for records on how officials screen for unlawful voting by noncitizens, CBS News and Fox News report.

The subpoenas came after a ruling by US District Judge David Carter, the outlets report. He turned down the administration's request to set aside mail ballots from about 20,000 people it says are not citizens. "These threats must stop," the judge wrote of warnings to local officials, CBS News and Fox News report.

A Justice Department spokesperson would not discuss what the department called leaks about the subpoenas, the outlets report. "All agree that noncitizen voting is properly addressed through criminal law," the spokesperson said, CBS News and Fox News report. A US official said that getting a subpoena does not mean a person is a target, NBC News reports.

Los Angeles County's top election official, Dean Logan, said the Justice Department "has taken a confrontational, adversarial approach" at every step, NBC News and CBS News report. NBC News says noncitizens on voter rolls are rare. Newly naturalized citizens are often wrongly flagged, the outlet reports.

What we know: Federal prosecutors have sent subpoenas to California election officials.
What we don't: How many subpoenas were sent and who got them.