Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated on Wednesday that he would adhere to the law regarding the deployment of federal agents at polling places but did not explicitly rule out such actions. This statement comes amid ongoing lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's use of federal agents near polling locations, which raises concerns about potential violations of federal protections against voter intimidation.
During a Senate hearing, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) inquired whether Blanche would commit to not deploying armed federal agents at polling places. Blanche responded that he would follow the law, stating, "I will commit to following the law … no matter what it includes." He also mentioned that he was not aware of concerns regarding armed agents at polling places.
Federal law generally prohibits the deployment of armed personnel at polling places, except in specific situations. Following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, U.S. Customs and Border Protection initially denied having documents related to ICE deployments at polling locations but later reversed this decision after evidence of agents being present outside voting sites in Texas and California was presented. A federal judge has ordered CBP to process documents related to potential ICE deployments at polling locations.
Multiple officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, have also refrained from ruling out the presence of ICE agents at polling places. Mullin stated that ICE would not be present for intimidation but could be deployed if a specific threat arises. Leavitt noted that she could not guarantee that ICE agents would not be near polling locations during the upcoming elections.
Voting rights advocates argue that the presence of federal agents at polling places can intimidate voters and suppress turnout. There is currently no evidence that undocumented immigrants have voted illegally in significant numbers in U.S. elections. Several federal statutes prohibit voter intimidation, making it illegal to threaten or coerce individuals regarding their right to vote.