The Brief

Gov. Gavin Newsom is fast-tracking a plan that could temporarily upend the way California draws its congressional districts so that more Democrats could be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Newsom has led the effort to put redistricting plans in front of voters.

On Friday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee confirmed it submitted a proposed new congressional map to the California state legislature. 

In a statement, Julie Merz, the committee's executive director, said the submitted map leaves eight of California's congressional districts untouched and, in 20 districts, fewer than 10% of residents would be affected if the changes are approved. California has 52 congressional districts total.

It's an unprecedented move, and if state lawmakers approve it by an Aug. 22 deadline, California voters will see a special election Nov. 4 to decide whether it passes.

California’s plan is part of a larger national fight that began when President Donald Trump put pressure on Texas lawmakers to redraw their districts to boost Republican representation in the 2026 midterm elections.

Most of this battle is between state and national politicians, but ultimately it’s about the power of your vote and who gets to represent you in government. Here’s a full breakdown of what’s going on and what it means for you.

What are the proposed changes?

Here's a look at the map released Friday that was posted on the state Assembly's website. You can also check out CalMatters' look-up tool to see the current congressional districts alongside the newly proposed boundaries. Enter your address for details on where you live.

Why is this happening?

It’s a response to similar efforts that are going on in Texas. In July, Trump began urging Texas lawmakers to redraw their state’s congressional maps to help retain more Republican representatives in Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans have a slim 219-212 majority in the U.S. House of Representatives right now, but in midterm elections, the balance of power historically tends to shift to the other party.

Congressional district lines get redrawn once every 10 years — it’s a process called redistricting. Texas, California and other states aren’t supposed to redistrict until after the next Census count in 2030. But under pressure from Trump, Republican lawmakers in Texas produced a draft map to take effect before the 2026 midterms and likely give Republicans an additional five seats in Congress.

Newsom has repeatedly called Trump’s move an attempt to “rig” congressional maps for next year’s elections.

In late July, he threatened to start a redistricting process in California to create more Democratic representation if Texas’ plan went through — effectively to cancel out Texas’ move. Last week, he urged Trump to call off the plan in Texas, but since that hasn’t happened, Newsom moved ahead with California’s redistricting effort.

Back up: Why does redistricting matter?

Redistricting determines who gets to vote to elect your representatives in government.

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Illustration by Alborz Kamalizad / LAist / Photograph by Fabian Centeno / Unsplash

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Redistricting is the process of drawing boundaries on a map that determine who’s included in your political district — those geographic lines determine who gets to vote to elect your representatives in government.

Wherever you live, you are part of several political districts that all have different boundaries: For example, a congressional district, a state Assembly district, a state Senate district, a county board of supervisors district and more. For each of them, you have a representative whose job it is to make sure that the government makes decisions with your community’s concerns in mind.

Each district within a level of government is supposed to be roughly equal in population, but population sizes are always changing. To account for that, most district boundary lines get redrawn every 10 years to reflect population changes recorded in the U.S. Census (that’s one of many reasons the Census is important). This is the redistricting process.

The goal of redistricting is to make sure communities are represented fairly in government.

Your ability to elect a representative that takes your community’s concerns seriously depends on how these district lines are drawn. Think about where you live and what you and your wider community have in common. Perhaps most of you are renters. Maybe you live near a stadium or an airport that affects your day-to-day life. Does your district include many others who share your needs and interests? Or does it make your community a minority group that needs to fight harder to be heard?

Because there are so many different communities and needs to consider, and so much political power at stake, redistricting is a delicate process. How it’s done matters a lot, and that’s at the center of current tensions.

• Good to know: The national fight happening now is only over congressional districts, which determine who represents you in the U.S. House of Representatives. Cities and counties handle their own redistricting processes, but they’re not involved in the current fight — even though there have definitely been local redistricting controversies in the past.

How does redistricting work right now?

When it comes to congressional districts, the rules are up to the states. Each state handles it differently.

In many states, including Texas, elected lawmakers are primarily in charge of redrawing the maps every 10 years.

In cases where elected officials handle redistricting, there are often concerns over gerrymandering, which is when redistricting is intentionally manipulated to give one party or group more representation. Federal laws say that redistricting can’t discriminate against racial groups, but outside of that there’s not much federal regulation against gerrymandering to favor a political party. State laws and state courts decide the boundaries of what’s legal.

In California, elected officials used to be in charge of the process, too, but that changed in 2008 after long-standing concerns over gerrymandering. Voters approved the creation of an independent redistricting commission — ”independent” meaning that average citizens, not elected officials, are primarily in charge of redrawing the maps.

Commission members can’t be connected to an elected office, and the group must be politically balanced between registered Democrats, Republicans and those who aren’t affiliated with either of those parties. This is to ensure that political interests aren’t trying to influence the process for their own gain. (Here’s more about how the selection works.)

What will change with California’s redistricting system?

Nothing yet, but if passed by voters and the state Legislature, the plan would make the new district maps apply for congressional elections next year, outside of the once-a-decade cycle, which would be unprecedented.

Here are some key details about how California’s redistricting proposal would work:

• It would be temporary. California’s independent redistricting commission wouldn’t go away. Instead, there would be a temporary interruption of our usual redistricting process that allows state lawmakers to redraw the maps just this once. Those new district boundaries would be in effect for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 Congressional elections. After the 2030 census, California’s independent commission would take over the process again as scheduled.
• It would only take effect if other states redistrict first. Aside from Texas, states like Florida and Missouri have also been considering mid-cycle redistricting. California’s proposal has “trigger language” specifying that it would only take effect if any other state pushes through its redistricting plans. It’s unclear whether that will happen. Texas Democrats have been pushing back on the Republican redistricting plan by physically leaving the state and preventing a vote from happening, and no one knows yet how the standoff will end.

U.S. Congressional District maps are displayed at a Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting meeting at the Texas State Capitol on August 6, 2025 in Austin, Texas. The redistricting effort in Texas led California Gov. Newsom to announce California's redistricting countermeasure.

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What would the changes mean for me?

If your district is affected under Newsom’s plan, the geographic lines of your Congressional district would change and a different set of voters would elect your U.S. House of Representatives member. That could mean different priorities get represented in Congress after next year’s elections. Your new representative could be more — or less — attuned to what you and your community want from government.

But even if your district boundaries stay the same, this national fight has major implications for everybody. It will affect what party takes control of the House in next year’s elections and how much of Trump’s agenda will make it into law during the second half of his presidency.

What’s the timeline?

A lot needs to move quickly in order for any proposed changes to take effect by the 2026 midterm elections:

• Approval in the California Legislature. The state Assembly and state Senate have until Aug. 22 to approve the plan with a two-thirds majority in each chamber. They return from recess Aug. 18, so they’d have to get it done in just a few days. If approved, the plan moves to voters. 
• A special election. California voters would decide whether to approve the plan in a special election on Nov. 4. 
• Seeing what happens in other states. Even if California voters vote “yes,” the new maps will only apply to next year’s congressional elections if another state approves their own mid-cycle redistricting plan first.  If that happens, California’s new congressional district maps would be in effect for elections in 2026, 2028 and 2030.

In addition to all these steps, California’s proposal could face legal challenges. It would have to remain clear of any litigation that could hold it up in court before next year’s elections.

Is this plan a good idea?

Not surprisingly, opinions are divided.

At the heart of the debate is whether it’s worth it to override California’s hard-won independent redistricting system, even temporarily, in order to wage a larger political battle on the national stage.

What supporters say: Newsom has described the plan as a way to neutralize Trump’s redistricting efforts in Texas. “We’re not going to roll over, and we’re going to fight fire with fire,” he said in a press conference last week.

Democratic members of Congress, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, have backed Newsom’s plan.

Sara Sadhwani, an assistant professor of politics at Pomona College and a Democratic member of California’s independent redistricting commission, supports the effort too.

“These are extraordinary times,” she said in an interview with Politico. “At this moment, I’m not so worried about California’s democracy. We have strong democratic institutions here in the state of California, but I’m also a political scientist, and at the national level, what we’ve seen over the last 10 or even 20 years is a backsliding and a decay of our institutions that should worry all of us.”

What opponents say: All nine members of California’s Republican congressional delegation oppose Newsom’s plan, arguing in a joint statement that it overrides the will of voters who approved the independent redistricting system.

The Republican delegation also criticized the cost of a special election. The Secretary of State’s office estimated it could cost more than $200 million to hold a statewide vote on Nov. 4.

Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley, who represents areas along the California-Nevada border, is pushing federal legislation to prohibit mid-decade redistricting nationwide. “A nationwide redistricting war is not what our country needs,” he said in a statement.

What skeptics say: Common Cause, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for democratic reforms including independent redistricting, initially opposed Newsom’s plan. Executive director Darius Kemp called it a “dangerous move” in a news release, adding: “We can’t afford to put our state’s democracy on the line during a time of national instability.”

However, the group scaled back its opposition this week. In a statement, the group said it would not oppose Newsom’s plan if state lawmakers adhered to certain “fairness criteria.”

How do I weigh in on what happens next?

Your state Assembly member and state senator are in charge of approving or rejecting Newsom’s plan.

You can reach out to their offices directly to share your thoughts. Enter your address here to find out who represents you and how to get in touch with them.

LAist's Mary Plummer contributed to this report.

Updated March 31, 2026 at 20:14 PM ET

President Trump said on Tuesday that the United States will be leaving Iran very soon, giving a two to three week timetable.

Trump's remarks came in response to a question about gas prices — which earlier Tuesday hit a national average of $4 a gallon. Asked what he would do about it, Trump said: "All I have to do is leave Iran, and we'll be doing that very soon, and they'll become tumbling down."

"I would say that within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three," he added.

Trump also appeared to reverse previous promises about reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

"We'll be leaving very soon. And if France or some other country wants to get oil or gas, they'll go up through the strait, the Hormuz Strait, they'll go right up there, and they'll be able to fend for themselves. I think it'll be very safe, actually, but we have nothing to do with that. What happens with the strait? We're not going to have anything to do with it," he said.

Just on Monday, though, Trump offered this threat on social media over the strait reopening: "If for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately 'Open for Business,' we will conclude our lovely 'stay' in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet 'touched.'"

The White House later said Trump would speak to the nation about the war at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Here are more updates from the war in the Middle East:

Kidnapped journalist | Troop visit | Peacekeeper deaths | Iran | Rubio on Spain | Trump slams allies | Dalai Lama

American journalist kidnapped in Iraq

Iraqi authorities reported a foreign journalist was kidnapped in Baghdad Tuesday. It turned out to be an American freelance reporter, Shelly Kittleson, according to Al-Monitor, a Middle Eastern news site for which she has written articles.

Iraqi security forces said they intercepted a vehicle that crashed and arrested one of the suspected kidnappers, but are stilling searching for the kidnapped journalist and other suspects.

U.S. officials say they're working to get her released.

"The State Department previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible," Dylan Johnson, the assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, said on social media.

He said Americans, including media workers, have been advised not to travel to Iraq and should leave the country. The statement did not condemn the kidnapping or express concern.

Johnson said Iraqi authorities apprehended a suspect associated with Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, believed to be involved in the kidnapping.

This comes as the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran enters its second month, and the fallout ricochets across the region.

Press freedom organizations expressed deep concern. The Committee to Protect Journalists called on "Iraqi authorities to do everything in their power to locate Shelley Kittleson, ensure her immediate and safe release, and hold those responsible to account."

Based in Rome, Kittleson has reported on Iraq, as well as Syria and Afghanistan, for years, according to Al-Monitor.

Reporters Without Borders said she is "very familiar with Iraq, where she stays for extended periods."

"RSF stands alongside her loved ones and colleagues during this painful wait," the organization said.

Al-Monitor said in a statement it is "deeply alarmed" by her kidnapping. "We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work," it said.

U.S. defense secretary visits troops

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an undisclosed trip to the Middle East to visit troops over the weekend. He did not divulge the location for the troops' safety.

"I spoke to Air Force and Navy pilots on the flight line who every day both deliver bombs deep into Iran, but also shoot down drones defending their base. Many had just returned from the skies of Iran and Tehran," he told reporters in a briefing Tuesday.

He said he "witnessed an urgency to finish the job" and tried to draw a comparison with America's earlier drawn-out wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He said the U.S. is improving bunkers and layered air defenses as a priority to protect troops and aircraft.

This comes after more than a dozen U.S. service members were injured, several severely, and U.S. aircraft were damaged in Iranian strikes on a base in Saudi Arabia last Friday. The Pentagon says 13 U.S. service members have been killed and 300 wounded in what it calls Operation Epic Fury.

He repeated the administration's assertion that the U.S. is negotiating with Iran, despite Iranian officials' denial that talks are happening.

He said the U.S. prefers negotiations, but would not rule out using ground troops.

"In the meantime, we'll negotiate with bombs," Hegseth said. "Our job is to ensure that we compel Iran to realize that this new regime, this regime in charge is in a better place if they make that deal."

President Trump told the New York Post he is in talks with Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Security Council meets after U.N. peacekeeper deaths

Countries denounced the killings of three U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon this week as they met for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

"These are sadly not the only dangerous incidents faced by UNIFIL's courageous peacekeepers," Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of U.N. peacekeeping, said, using the acronym for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. "There has been a worrying increase in denials of freedom of movement and aggressive behavior."

Lacroix said initial findings suggested two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed Monday in a roadside explosion in southern Lebanon. A day earlier another peacekeeper from Indonesia was killed when a projectile hit a U.N. base, Lacroix said.

Their deaths came as Israeli forces have invaded Lebanon, intensifying a second front in the war in the Middle East. Israel says it is targeting the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The U.N. has not pinned blame and is investigating the incidents.

Ahead of the Security Council meeting, Israel's ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, expressed condolences for the Indonesian peacekeepers' deaths.

Displaced people warm up around a fire outside their tent along Beirut's seafront area on March 30, 2026.

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Danon blamed Hezbollah for laying explosive devices that killed two peacekeepers on Monday.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz paid tribute to the Indonesian peacekeepers and urged Security Council members not to jump to conclusions but to allow the U.N. to investigate.

Indonesia's foreign minister called for a swift, thorough and transparent investigation.

Iran executions, Starlink arrests

Meanwhile, Iran says it has arrested 46 people who were selling Starlink internet connections — one of the few ways that people in Iran have been able to connect to the global internet while authorities block communication. Starlink allows users to connect directly to the internet via satellite, bypassing government firewalls.

Global internet monitor NetBlocks said the country's "internet blackout has entered day 32."

"Extended digital isolation is bringing new challenges for Iranians, from expired domains and accounts to unpatched servers on a degrading national intranet," it said on X.

Iran said it executed two people who had taken part in opposition activities as well as two citizens it accused of spying for the U.S. and Israel.

Rubio accuses Spain's prime minister of "bragging"

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday responded to news that Spain had closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran war by lashing out at the NATO partner. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Rubio answered a question about whether the EU and NATO countries had "betrayed the U.S." by focusing on Spain, a NATO member who has publicly adopted a position opposing the war in Iran.

Gas prices are displayed at a Mobil gas station on March 30, 2026 in Pasadena, California. The average price of one gallon of regular self-service gasoline rose to $5.99 today in Los Angeles County, climbing from $4.69 one month ago, amid the ongoing war with Iran.

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"We have countries like Spain, a NATO member that we are pledged to defend, denying us the use of their airspace and bragging about it, denying us the use of our – of their bases," Rubio said.

Earlier on Monday, Spain Defense Minister Margarita Robles said the country had closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran war. It is unclear when the closure started — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had hinted at the measure during a parliamentary debate on March 25.

The weekend the U.S. and Israel launched the attack on Iran, flight records showed at least 15 in-flight refueling planes leaving two jointly operated military bases in the south of Spain after not being allowed to provide support for the military action in Iran. Robles later confirmed the decision by the Spanish Government. That triggered a spat between President Trump and Spain's leadership the week after the war started. Trump said from the Oval Office that he would cut off all trade with Spain if the Spanish government did not allow U.S. forces to use the jointly operated bases. In response, Sánchez doubled down on his stance on the war in the Middle East.

Sánchez has relied on his opposition to the war, making it his main platform at the domestic level. Sánchez's Socialist Party has struggled to keep a government coalition from breaking apart, as he faces pressure to keep his party's hopes alive ahead of a parliamentary election due in 2027.

Trump slams allies

President Trump criticized France and the United Kingdom, among others, on his social media platform.

"All of those countries that can't get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump had asked allies for help after Iran largely blockaded the vital waterway, sending up oil and gas prices. But they have been hesitant to join in the war, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer repeating again this week that Britain would not get involved.

"You'll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won't be there to help you anymore, just like you weren't there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!" Trump's post concluded.

He also said France "wouldn't let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory." and called the country "VERY UNHELPFUL."

Dalai Lama calls for peace

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday posted an appeal for an end to war in the Middle East.

"History has shown us time and again that violence only begets more violence and is never a lasting foundation for peace," he said on his official account on X.

"An enduring resolution to conflict, including the ones we see in the Middle East or between Russia and Ukraine, must be rooted in dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect — approached with the understanding that, at the deepest level, we are all brothers and sisters," he said.

He said he was adding his plea to one made at the Vatican by Pope Leo during his Palm Sunday Mass, adding: "His call for the laying down of arms and the renunciation of violence resonated profoundly with me, as it speaks to the very essence of what all major religions teach."

Carrie Kahn in Tel Aviv, Israel, Lauren Frayer in Beirut, Jennifer Pak in Shanghai, Emily Feng in Van, Turkey, Miguel Macias in Seville, Spain, Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg, Jane Arraf in Amman, Jordan, Quil Lawrence in New York, Giles Snyder, Michele Kelemen and Alex Leff in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 NPR

The Los Angeles region’s homelessness agency will miss a Tuesday deadline for submitting its federally required annual audit of the agency’s financial records, which could jeopardize its federal funding.

LAHSA executives blamed the delay on a “perfect storm” of leadership changes and competing priorities within LAHSA’s finance department, including an L.A. County review of LAHSA’s delayed payments to contractors.

“Our staff made a good-faith effort to meet the deadline,” interim CEO Gita O’Neill said at a LAHSA Commission meeting Tuesday. “However, over the past year, we've experienced several transitions. As a result, we could not get all the required materials to the auditors as quickly as needed.”

Each year, LAHSA, like all non-federal agencies and organizations that get substantial federal dollars, is required to hire an outside auditor to determine whether it’s properly tracking and reporting the taxpayer funds it manages.

LAHSA’s single audit report for last fiscal year was due March 31, nine months after fiscal year 2024-2025 ended. Earlier this month, LAHSA officials said they were on track to meet the March 31 deadline.

Justin Measley, lead auditor for the firm CliftonLarsonAllen, had warned that LAHSA was months behind schedule turning over records.

At a meeting Tuesday, Measley explained that because of LAHSA’s earlier delays, the firm would need at least an additional week to complete a quality-control review process.

“We’re moving at the fastest pace we possibly can,” Measley said.

On Tuesday, LAHSA officials said the single audit will be filed “at the earliest possible opportunity,” within the next few weeks.

Federal funds at risk

LAHSA manages hundreds of millions of federal dollars each year, through grants from the U.S. Office of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD.

O’Neill said the agency has been communicating with HUD officials regularly about the missed audit deadline and is “hoping for understanding.”

Janine Lim, LAHSA’s deputy chief financial officer, said she’s also been talking with HUD.

“They seem amenable to our situation and to our stated timelines,” Lim said. “So, we are hopeful that this will be a good outcome, despite having missed the deadline.”

HUD did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment Tuesday.

What went wrong 

Measley said LAHSA’s financial statements should have been turned over around last December, but LAHSA only submitted them this month, after blowing through multiple extended deadlines.

Measley said he contacted LAHSA’s governing commission about the overdue documents March 3.

He said he also previewed his firm’s findings, noting one “significant deficiency” in its draft report, related to LAHSA’s timeliness in detecting accounting errors.

LAHSA could contest those findings, officials said. That would add additional back-and-forth between the homelessness agency and accounting firm before the audit report is ready to file.

Justin Szlasa, a LAHSA commissioner who chairs the audit subcommittee, told LAHSA’s CEO he’s concerned that there was no time provided for LAHSA’s governing body to review the audit report.

“Next year, we will absolutely do that,” O’Neill responded. “I think this year, we were under the gun, and so we felt it was the most important thing was to get it uploaded on time.”

O’Neill said the agency hired accounting firm KPMG to help modernize LAHSA’s financial systems, with a focus on its contractor payments.

“We have an outside, trusted voice to help us create a system that works going forward because the system we have is not working at all, in finance,” O’Neill said.

Updated March 31, 2026 at 20:44 PM ET

President Trump on Tuesday escalated his efforts to reshape American elections, signing an executive order that seeks to create lists of U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote in each state, and instructing the U.S. Postal Service to send mail ballots only to verified voters.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he believes the order is legally "foolproof." But election experts said the order was unconstitutional, and voting rights advocates and Democratic state officials quickly pledged to sue to block the order from going into effect.

A previous executive order on elections, signed about a year ago, has been blocked by federal judges who said the president lacked the constitutional authority to set voting policy.

The Constitution says the "Times, Places and Manner" of federal elections are determined by individual states, with Congress able to enact changes.

"This Executive Order is a disgusting overreach from the federal government and shows how little the Trump Administration understands about election administration," Adrian Fontes, the Democratic secretary of state of Arizona, said in a statement Tuesday. "We will not let this order stand without a fight and will meet the federal government in court," he added.

Arizona is among more than two dozen states Trump's Department of Justice has sued over access to sensitive voter data.

The Trump administration claims it needs the data to enforce states' voter list maintenance. Federal judges in three states have dismissed the Justice Department's lawsuits in those states.

In another case, a DOJ official admitted in court last week that the department plans to share that voter data with the Department of Homeland Security, to run it through the so-called SAVE system to search for noncitizens.

NPR has reported that some U.S. citizens have also been inaccurately flagged by SAVE.

How the executive order seeks to change voting

Trump has long railed — baselessly — about widespread illegal voting by noncitizens and fraud associated with mail ballots.

The new executive order — which was first reported by The Daily Caller — takes aim at both.

It instructs the Department of Homeland Security, working in conjunction with the Social Security Administration, to "compile and transmit to the chief election official of each State a list of individuals confirmed to be United States citizens who will be above the age of 18 at the time of an upcoming Federal election and who maintain a residence in the subject State."

The order then "requires the USPS to transmit ballots only to individuals enrolled on a State-specific Mail-in and Absentee Participation List, ensuring that only eligible absentee or mail-in voters receive absentee or mail-in ballots," according to a White House fact sheet.

Trump's executive order claims that "additional measures are necessary" to secure voting by mail, a form of voting he has used himself — including last week — but also falsely maligned for years. In the 2024 general election, nearly a third of all voters cast mail ballots.

The Postal Service should also review the design of mail ballot envelopes to protect "the integrity of Federal elections," the order says.

Collectively, the provisions would be a significant change to how mail ballot programs are currently administered in American elections, which are largely carried out by state and local officials.

"Our government's citizenship lists are incomplete and inaccurate. The United States Postal Service is overburdened and inadequate. This combines a car crash with a train wreck," the Brennan Center for Justice, which advocates for expanded voting access and sued to block Trump's 2025 election executive order, said in a statement.

Rick Hasen, an election law expert at UCLA, wrote on his blog that the order is likely unconstitutional. And regardless, he added, "the timing here makes this virtually impossible to implement in time for November's elections. … It seems highly unlikely any of this could be implemented for 2026, even if it were not blocked by courts."

The order comes as Trump pressures Republicans in Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, a sweeping election overhaul that would impose new voter identification and documentation requirements.

That bill is stalled in the Senate due to Democratic opposition and the legislative filibuster.

The Supreme Court is also expected to rule this year on whether Mississippi should be allowed to count mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but received by election officials after Election Day.

The legal challenge, which could have sweeping implications for mail voting nationwide, was filed by the Republican National Committee and Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.

Copyright 2026 NPR

Federal immigration officials arrested more than 14,000 people in the greater Los Angeles area in 2025 — the majority of whom had no criminal record, according to an LAist analysis of new data from the Deportation Data Project.

The data project, an initiative between UCLA and UC Berkeley, publishes federal data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

In 2025, federal officials arrested 14,394 people, up from 4,681 the year prior. Forty-six percent of people arrested had criminal convictions, 15% had pending charges, and 39% had no criminal charges or convictions.

In a December news release, the Department of Homeland Security said it had arrested more than 10,000 people in the L.A. area since immigration raids began in June of last year, including "murderers, kidnappers, sexual predators and armed carjackers,” but did not publish details of the number of people who had criminal records.

The data from the Deportation Data Project shows that arrests in L.A. spiked in June, and about two-thirds of people arrested that month had no criminal convictions.

More than 313,000 people were arrested by ICE nationwide in 2025, according to an LAist analysis.

In a statement, a DHS spokesperson said the agency has not “verified the accuracy, methodology or analysis of the project and its results” and said “this only reveals how data is manipulated to peddle the false narrative that DHS is not targeting the worst of the worst.” The spokesperson said 61% of people ICE arrested across the country either had criminal convictions or pending charges.

The agency has regularly published press releases identifying people they have arrested and who they have called “the worst of the worst,” including from the raids in L.A. in June. But an LAist investigation and reporting from other outlets has found that some of the people on those lists already has been in custody and were serving lengthy sentences.