A senior Department of Homeland Security official told state election leaders on Wednesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will not be stationed at polling places during this year’s midterm elections. The assurance came during a multi-agency briefing meant to calm growing unease among election administrators after Trump allies publicly floated the idea of federal agents near voting sites, stoking fears about voter intimidation and federal overreach.
Heather Honey, DHS assistant secretary for election integrity, told participants that “Any suggestion that ICE is going to be present at polling places is simply disinformation” and that “There will be no ICE presence at polling locations,” according to NPR. The call, which included representatives from the Justice Department, the Postal Service and other federal agencies, was described by participants as a coordinated effort to put election officials at ease. According to those on the line, Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams later confirmed the department’s assurance in a social media post.
Bannon's Call, White House Response
The scramble to clarify federal plans followed comments from former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who told listeners on his War Room podcast, “We’re going to have ICE surround the polls come November,” as captured in a transcript from CNN. That line landed like a thunderclap in election offices already bracing for a volatile season.
The White House then added to the uncertainty. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she “can't guarantee” an ICE agent would not be around a polling location, according to Reuters. The mix of hard-edged political rhetoric and a carefully hedged official response helped set the stage for the midweek briefing where DHS tried to slam the door on talk of ICE at the polls.
State Officials Remained Wary
Even with Honey’s unequivocal words, some state election chiefs said they were not exactly breathing easier. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber asked whether states would receive advance notice of any immigration operations at or near polling sites, a detail local officials say matters a lot on the ground. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows went further and said she “did not walk away from this meeting reassured,” according to NPR.
Critics also pointed to Honey’s past work with outside election reviews and her ties to allies of conservative attorney Cleta Mitchell as a reason to remain skeptical of the department’s outreach, arguing that who delivers the message can matter as much as the message itself.
Legal Limits And Likely Pushback
Federal law bars deploying troops or using federal force to interfere with voting, and legal experts say a visible ICE presence at polling places would almost certainly trigger immediate lawsuits, according to Reuters. On top of that, many states have rules that limit armed officers or firearm possession near polling locations, which would add yet another legal headache to any attempt to park federal immigration agents at local precincts.
Election administrators say they are pressing ahead with contingency planning as November approaches, treating the DHS assurance as an important on-the-record statement from the administration, not a reason to relax. For now, election officials and civil-rights attorneys alike are preaching vigilance over relief, and state and federal agencies are expected to keep talking as they prepare for the midterms.
