ICE at Polling Sites During 2026 Midterm Elections? Americans Push Back Amid Fears of Voter Intimidation

As the 2026 US midterm elections draw closer, a contentious debate has emerged over whether US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could be present near polling locations. Reports suggesting that ICE agents could be stationed at or near polling sites have alarmed civil rights advocates, election officials, and immigrant communities amid concerns about voter intimidation and election interference.

​The discussion around ICE and the election stems in part from increasingly vocal calls by some political figures and commentators for stronger federal involvement in election integrity.

ICE Could Surround Polls

​Former White House strategist and podcaster Steve Bannon suggested on his podcast, 'War Room,' that ICE agents could 'surround the polls' in November.

​Bannon said on his podcast, 'You're damn right we're going to have ICE surround the polls come November. We're not going to sit here and allow you to steal the country again. And you can whine and cry and throw your toys out of the pram all you want, but we will never again allow an election to be stolen.'

​When asked about the remark, Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, did not categorically rule out the possibility of immigration enforcement near polling sites, noting she was unaware of any 'formal plans.'

​She also declined to guarantee that they wouldn't be present in proximity to voting locations. Leavitt said at a press briefing, 'I can't guarantee that an ICE agent won't be around a polling location in November ... but what I can tell you is I haven't heard the president discuss any formal plans to put ICE outside of polling locations.'

ICE as a Tool to 'Intimidate' Voters

​On his 'The Contrarian' podcast, Democratic Sen. Mark Warner voiced concern that the Trump administration could use ICE as a tool to intimidate voters at polling stations, particularly in minority and immigrant communities.

He asked, 'I am, we are all, greatly afraid with these roving ICE vans that we see in Minneapolis and other cities. Could those ICE roving vans be used to try to go and intimidate voters at the polling station?' Warner said the idea of immigration agents being present at or around polling places 'sounded maybe way out or draconian' a short time ago, but 'they are at our front door right now.'

​Vote.gov has barred permanent legal residents in the US from voting in federal, state, and most local elections, and registering can even affect their citizenship.

​Official Response and Pushback

​The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sought to reassure states and voters that ICE will not operate at polling locations. On 26 February, DHS joined the federal Election Assistance Commission and other agencies for a virtual briefing with state election officials.

During the briefing, Heather Honey, DHS deputy assistant secretary for election integrity, stated: 'Any suggestion that ICE will be present at any polling location is simply not true,' per Reuters.

​Shenna Bellows, Maine's Secretary of State, stated during the same briefing that sending ICE officers to polling sites would breach constitutional limits, while a DHS official told Reuters that ICE could only appear at a polling location in the case of an active public safety threat, and that any arrests would result from targeted enforcement rather than routine election operations.

​Despite these assurances, many election officials have remained cautious, emphasising that they would require written guarantees from the federal government rather than relying solely on verbal statements, per The Gazette.

Election officials, civil rights advocates, and voters themselves will continue to monitor developments closely, seeking clear policies that uphold both voter confidence and non-intimidating access to the ballot box.

National Campaign for Justice Launches Public Petition

Amidst tensions of ICE intervention, a new public petition spearheaded by the National Campaign for Justice has called to the public and encouraged them to call their respective Secretary of State to intervene.

'Secretaries of State are the chief election officials in their states. They have the authority and the responsibility to ensure polling locations are safe, neutral, and free from intimidation. They must make it clear now that ICE has no role at the polls and that any attempt to interfere with voters will be met with firm opposition,' the petition said.

It also added that the ICE intervention is 'obvious' and that they want to 'intimidate voters.'

'They want to intimidate voters, especially in immigrant communities and communities of color, and create fear at the ballot box,' they added.