White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined on Thursday to definitively rule out the possibility that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents could be present near polling locations during November’s midterm elections.
Leavitt was responding to a question about remarks from Steve Bannon, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, who said ICE would “surround the polls” in November in an effort to prevent the election from being “stolen.”
Leavitt said she had not heard Trump consider such a move, but added: “I can’t guarantee that an ICE agent won’t be around a polling location in November.”
Bannon’s comments came after Trump said Monday that Republicans should “take over” elections in as many as 15 states, while continuing to claim widespread fraud cost him reelection in 2020.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously told Newsweek that ICE was not planning operations focused on polling locations. However, the spokesperson added that agents could make arrests near a polling site if they were pursuing a specific, ongoing threat.
Voting-rights advocates point to legal guardrails meant to keep law enforcement from influencing the ballot box. The Brennan Center for Justice notes that federal and state laws prohibit the government from deploying federal agents to polling places, and federal law also prohibits activity that intimidates voters.
Why It Matters
The White House’s refusal to rule out ICE being near polling locations is likely to heighten concerns about voter intimidation and whether the presence of immigration enforcement could suppress turnout in November.
The controversy arrives as Trump has intensified efforts to cast doubt on the 2020 election results, repeating theories that ballots were altered or stolen and claiming—without evidence—that undocumented migrants voted in some states he lost. With control of Congress on the line in November, the administration has also signaled increased attention to election-related issues.
Separately, scrutiny of immigration enforcement has grown after the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by immigration agents in Minneapolis last month. Congress is now discussing potential new rules for ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, while Democrats have threatened to block DHS funding when it expires in two weeks unless there are “dramatic changes” and “real accountability” related to immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota and elsewhere.
What To Know
During Thursday’s briefing, Leavitt brushed off the question as a “very silly hypothetical,” saying she had not heard Trump discuss any “formal plans” to place ICE agents outside polling sites.
On Tuesday’s edition of Bannon’s War Room podcast, Bannon claimed Democrats depend on voter fraud and suggested—again without evidence—that undocumented migrants are voting in large numbers in Minnesota and New York City.
“You’re damn right we’re gonna have ICE surround the polls come November,” Bannon said.
Democrats and other critics condemned the suggestion, arguing it risks intimidation and undermines public confidence in elections. Legal experts have also emphasized that the president does not have the authority to nationalize elections.
What People Are Saying
Leavitt said during Thursday’s briefing: “I can’t guarantee that an ICE agent won’t be around a polling location in November. I mean, that’s frankly a very silly hypothetical question. But what I can tell you is I haven’t heard the president discuss any formal plans to put ICE outside of polling locations.”
A DHS official previously told Newsweek: “ICE is not planning operations targeting polling locations. ICE conducts intelligence-driven targeted enforcement, and if an active public safety threat endangered a polling location, they may be arrested as a result of that targeted enforcement action.”
Democratic Senator Mark Warner said on Tuesday: “The idea that the president might send some part of the federal government like ICE into patrol and suddenly people are saying, ‘well, we want to make sure that nobody undocumented shows up at any polling station.’ Again, pre-Minneapolis occupation, that didn’t ring as true as it potentially rings true right now.”
Caroline Wren, a GOP fundraiser, said on Tuesday’s War Room podcast that Democrats are “desperately trying to shut down the DHS funding bill,” adding: “They don’t want ICE funded because they don’t want ICE at the polling stations to stop illegals from voting.”
Bill Kristol, editor-at-large of The Bulwark and a Trump critic, wrote on X: “Democrats should defund and restrain ICE to the degree possible. And they should insist on this condition at least: No ICE [or Border Patrol] anywhere near the polls or early voting election locations this fall.”
What Happens Next
The midterm elections will take place on November 3.
