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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin reaffirmed his stance on potentially deploying ICE agents to polling locations during the upcoming November midterm elections. Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Mullin clarified that ICE presence at polling sites would only occur if a specific threat emerges, insisting there would be no immigration enforcement involved.
When asked by CNN’s Kasie Hunt about earlier comments suggesting ICE might be stationed at voting sites, Mullin emphasized that agents would be called in solely for security reasons, such as responding to a bomb threat. “The only people who should be voting there are American citizens,” he stated, adding that ICE officers are trained for various emergency situations beyond immigration enforcement, including roles within DHS’s Special Response Teams.
Mullin also reassured that ICE would not engage in voter identification or any activities that could be perceived as voter intimidation, emphasizing that their presence would be coordinated through other law enforcement agencies if necessary. “We wouldn’t show up on our own; we would be getting asked to show up,” he said.
This announcement comes amid heightened concerns from critics who view the potential deployment of ICE agents at polls as a form of voter suppression, especially in the charged atmosphere surrounding the midterms. The issue has gained further attention following earlier calls by former White House strategist Steve Bannon, who advocated for ICE to “surround the polls” to prevent what he described as election theft.
As election officials at the state and local levels prepare for various scenarios, the prospect of ICE presence at polling sites remains a contentious topic, reflecting ongoing tensions over immigration enforcement and voting rights in the United States.