Politics
DHS confirms no plans for ICE to patrol polling locations during midterm elections
Officials state immigration agents will only enter voting sites to respond to threats or execute active warrants.
The short version
- The Department of Homeland Security stated that ICE officers have received no directives to conduct special operations or patrol polling places during the upcoming midterm elections.
- Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin clarified that agents will only be present at voting sites in response to specific threats or to execute warrants for actively tracked individuals.
- The statements follow disputes between the administration and state election officials over federal demands for voter roll data and unsubstantiated claims regarding noncitizen registration.
Key facts
- A senior DHS official confirmed that ICE personnel have not been instructed to carry out duties beyond standard operations on election day.[NBC News]
- Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that ICE will not patrol voting locations and will enter only if addressing a direct threat or executing an active warrant.[NBC News]
- President Donald Trump and Mullin have claimed without evidence that more than 250,000 noncitizens are listed on voter rolls across several states.[NBC News]
- Mullin warned state election officials of potential criminal penalties if they refuse federal methods to review voter rolls, while multiple state officials have refused to share sensitive voter data, including Social Security numbers.[NBC News]
What remains uncertain
- The factual basis remains unverified for the administration's claim that over 250,000 noncitizens are registered on state voter rolls.[NBC News]
Sources
- DHS: No plans for ICE to be at polls for midterm electionsNBC News - Top Stories