"It's Alarmism": The White House Says It Will Not Send ICE Agents to Polling Places
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
With early voting already underway, a concern for some voters is the potential role of immigration enforcement agents at polling places leading up to Election Day. Officials from the Department of Homeland Security state that they do not plan to deploy immigration agents en masse to patrol polling stations, dismissing fears of such actions as 'alarmism.' Legal experts on election law point out that federal law clearly prohibits the government from deploying armed troops, agents, or officers at polling sites, except to 'repel armed enemies of the United States,' a challenging threshold to meet. However, organizations representing Latino, Black, and Asian American voters express concern over the rhetoric and actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) amid rising immigration arrests as President Donald Trump implements his mass deportation agenda. Federal officials assert that ICE will not 'patrol' polling places but do not rule out their presence for specific reasons, such as executing a warrant or responding to a threat. During a congressional hearing earlier this year, then-acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Director Rodney Scott stated they had no plans to send agents to polling places. A Department of Homeland Security official also communicated to state election administrators that immigration agents would not be stationed at polling places for the midterm elections. In September, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin accused Democrats of 'alarmism' for worrying about ICE agents at polling sites, asserting that they would not patrol or monitor polling locations broadly but could respond to specific incidents. Trump has repeatedly invoked the specter of widespread illegal voting by non-citizens, although investigations show this is extremely rare. He has not confirmed plans to order ICE presence at polling places but has not ruled it out either. In a recent interview, Trump stated he had 'not thought about' deploying ICE agents to polling locations. The Department of Homeland Security emphasized that individuals in the country legally have 'nothing to fear' and that 'ICE is not planning operations targeting polling places.' The Department also noted it is 'fully focused on processing and removing foreigners who vote and preventing the dilution of American citizens' votes.' Deploying armed agents at polling places is illegal under federal law dating back to the Civil War, which prohibits 'troops or armed men' at election sites unless necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States. Local election officials have discussed the possibility of federal agents appearing at polling places and have been preparing for that scenario. Critics of the Trump administration point to the president's comments suggesting Republicans should 'monitor voting in at least 15 locations' and note that some of Trump's longtime allies have welcomed ICE's presence at polling sites. Activists are mobilizing to reassure hesitant voters, reminding them of their rights and increasing efforts to provide legal assistance. Community groups are also recruiting observers to monitor the electoral process in response to fears. A nonpartisan coalition opposing the Trump administration is preparing a program for areas with large minority voter populations to reaffirm that voters can cast their ballots safely.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
