US officials deny plans for broad ICE presence at polling places
US Homeland Security officials say immigration agents will not be deployed broadly at polling places during the midterm elections, but voting-rights groups remain concerned. Advocates cite the administration’s rhetoric and increased immigration arrests, while legal experts warn that armed federal presence at election sites could violate federal law.
US Homeland Security officials say Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not plan operations targeting polling places during the midterm elections, while voting-rights groups and election lawyers prepare for possible legal challenges. The issue has raised concern among some voters as early voting gets under way. Organisations representing Latino, Black and Asian American voters say the administration’s rhetoric and increased immigration arrests could discourage people from voting, even if agents are not stationed at polling locations.
The Department of Homeland Security said immigration agents would not be sent broadly to patrol or monitor polling places. It said targeted action could occur if an officer had a warrant or if an active public-safety threat endangered a location. Federal election law experts said the government is barred from deploying armed troops, agents or officers at election sites except in the narrow circumstance of repelling armed enemies of the United States.
David Becker, of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, said jurisdictions were preparing to seek court action if armed individuals appeared at polling places. Jonathan Diaz of the Campaign Legal Center said his organisation interpreted the law as covering polling places, early-voting centres, ballot drop boxes and election offices. He questioned whether the law permitted even the limited scenarios described by Homeland Security officials.
President Donald Trump has not said he would direct ICE or the National Guard to polling sites, but has not ruled it out. Asked in May whether he would send them, he said he would do whatever was necessary to ensure honest elections. In a Time interview published Thursday, he said he had not thought about dispatching ICE agents.
Local election officials said they were preparing for the possibility of federal agents appearing near voting sites. Democratic officials and activists also said they were ready to seek court intervention, while the administration dismissed concerns about a broad ICE deployment as fearmongering.
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