Kristi Noem won't rule out deploying ICE to polls: intimidation? |
Kristi Noem won’t rule out deploying ICE to polls: intimidation?
Here’s what’s happening: As we head toward the 2026 midterms, some Democratic lawmakers are moving to block federal agents, specifically ICE, from being deployed at polling stations. They say the mere presence of immigration enforcement near voting sites could intimidate voters. The Department of Homeland Security insists there are no plans to station ICE agents at the polls. But the fact that this even has to be clarified tells you something about the political climate we’re in.
Maryland Congresswoman April McClain Delaney is preparing to introduce the Democracy Without Intimidation Act. Federal law already bars the military from polling places and makes voter intimidation a crime. What it doesn’t explicitly do is prohibit civilian federal agencies like ICE from showing up.
This bill would close that loophole, making it a crime for senior federal law enforcement officials to deploy officers to polling locations. It would also restrict immigration enforcement in the four weeks leading up to a federal election, unless there’s individualized probable cause or an imminent threat.
This push didn’t come out of nowhere. Remember when former White House adviser Steve Bannon had this to say a........