DHS Official Assures States: No ICE Agents at Polls During 2026 Midterms/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A Department of Homeland Security official told state election leaders that immigration agents will not be stationed at polling places during the 2026 midterms. The pledge comes amid Democratic concerns about possible federal interference in election administration. The call included multiple federal agencies coordinating election security efforts.
DHS Says No ICE at Polls During Midterms Quick Looks
- DHS official Heather Honey addressed state secretaries of state
- Assured no ICE agents will be deployed to polling locations
- Comments came during routine federal-state election coordination call
- Democratic officials raised concerns over federal election interference
- FBI, USPS, and Election Assistance Commission joined discussion
- Trump administration actions have unsettled some state officials
Deep Look: DHS Official Assures States: No ICE Agents at Polls During 2026 Midterms
DENVER — A senior Department of Homeland Security official told state election administrators that federal immigration agents will not be deployed to polling places during November’s midterm elections, seeking to quell fears of potential federal interference in the voting process.
Heather Honey, deputy assistant secretary for election integrity at DHS, made the assurance during a call with secretaries of state and other election officials from across the country. According to statements from participants, Honey said any suggestion that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers would be stationed at voting sites is “simply not true.”
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, said Honey directly addressed the issue during the discussion. Officials from Oregon and Kentucky also confirmed that the commitment was made during the multi-agency coordination call.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.
Heightened Sensitivity Ahead of Midterms
While federal-state coordination calls ahead of elections are standard practice, this year’s discussion unfolded amid heightened political tensions. Several Democratic secretaries of state have expressed unease over recent actions by the Trump administration related to election oversight and law enforcement activities.
In recent months, the Department of Justice has filed lawsuits seeking detailed voter data from certain states, though it has not publicly specified the precise rationale for the requests. President Donald Trump has also continued to assert that the 2020 presidential election was marred by widespread fraud, claims that courts and election officials across the country have repeatedly rejected.
Earlier this month, the FBI conducted a raid at an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, seizing ballots and voting records from the 2020 election. The move drew criticism from some Democratic officials, who argued it reflected reliance on discredited election conspiracy theories.
Against that backdrop, the possibility — even if speculative — that federal immigration agents might appear at polling places fueled concern among some election administrators and public interest groups.
Federal Agencies Coordinate Election Security
The call that included Honey also featured representatives from the FBI, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the U.S. Postal Service and other federal agencies. Such discussions typically focus on logistical coordination, cybersecurity, mail ballot handling and threat assessments.
According to participants, Democratic secretaries of state questioned Honey about reductions in federal election security funding and the administration’s stated efforts to investigate noncitizen voting — which is already illegal and historically rare.
They also pressed for clarity on whether federal law enforcement officers might be visible at polling places during early voting or on Election Day.
In a recent congressional hearing, the heads of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection both denied that their agencies were involved in guarding voting precincts.
The White House has previously dismissed concerns about federal disruption of elections, noting that last year’s contests proceeded without incident and resulted in Democratic gains in several areas.
Constitutional Role of States
Under the U.S. Constitution, states are primarily responsible for administering elections. In most states, that authority rests with the elected secretary of state, who oversees voter registration, ballot processing and certification of results.
Honey’s participation in the call highlighted what some officials describe as a changing federal posture toward election oversight. Her past public support for claims challenging the outcome of the 2020 election has drawn scrutiny from critics who argue it underscores the importance of transparency and clear boundaries between federal and state authority.
Democratic officials have emphasized that they are preparing legal and procedural responses in the event of federal actions they believe could interfere with voting or ballot counting.
For now, Honey’s assurance that immigration agents will not be stationed at polling places appears intended to provide clarity ahead of the November midterms. Whether it alleviates broader concerns about federal involvement in elections remains to be seen.
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