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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has refused to rule out that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be at polling locations during November's midterm elections.
On Thursday, Leavitt was asked about recent comments made by Steve Bannon, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, who said that ICE would "surround the polls" in November in a bid to prevent the election from being "stolen."
Leavitt said it was not something she had heard Trump consider, but added: "I can't guarantee that an ICE agent won't be around a polling location in November."
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Bannon made the comments after Trump said on Monday that Republicans should "take over" elections in as many 15 states, as he continued to claim that widespread fraud cost him re-election in 2020.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously told Newsweek that ICE was not planning poll-focused operations, but could arrest people near a polling site if agents were pursuing a specific, ongoing threat.
Federal and state laws prohibit the government from deploying federal agents to any polling place, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Federal law also prohibits any activity that intimidates voters.
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Why It Matters
The White House's refusal to rule out ICE's presence near polling places will add to concerns from voting rights advocates and some lawmakers about voter intimidation and potential negative effects on turnout in November.
It comes as Trump has recently intensified his efforts to undermine the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to President Joe Biden. He has repeated theories that ballots were altered or stolen, and that illegal migrants were allowed to cast votes in some states that he lost. Those efforts come as the Trump administration is turning its attention to electoral issues before the midterm elections in November, when control of Congress will be at stake.
Meanwhile, the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis last month have amplified scrutiny of ICE. Congress is discussing potential new rules for ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Democrats are threatening to block funding for DHS when it expires in two weeks unless there are "dramatic changes" and "real accountability" for ICE and other agencies carrying out Trump's immigration enforcement in Minnesota and across the country.
What To Know
During Thursday's briefing, Leavitt dismissed the question about ICE's presence at polling locations in November as a "very silly hypothetical."
She added that 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, he said that Democrats rely on voter fraud to win elections, suggesting without evidence that illegal 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," he said.
Bannon and Trump's comments have drawn criticism, with Democrats and others decrying the possibility of ICE agents being deployed to polling locations in November.
Legal experts have also said the president does not have 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 episode of the War Room podcast that Democrats are "desperately trying to shut down the DHS funding bill. 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.
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