People vote at a polling location at Los Angeles' Metro Headquarters Building during California's state primary on June 2, 2026. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

A federal judge in California is putting limits on pre-election field operations conducted by the Department of Homeland Security that the agency says is aimed at trying to find noncitizens who have illegally voted in nine states.

In recent weeks, armed Homeland Security Investigations officers have carried out field operations and visited homes to interview people suspected of illegally voting as noncitizens. The targets can include people who became citizens but voted before they naturalized.

In a 19-page order late Wednesday, U.S.…