DHS Official Reassures Election Authorities: Reports of ICE at Polling Places Are “Disinformation”

Immigration officials at the Department of Homeland Security have firmly rejected claims that ICE agents will be stationed at polling locations during the upcoming November elections, classifying such assertions as deliberate misinformation.

During a private call with state election officials on Wednesday, Heather Honey, DHS deputy assistant secretary for election integrity, emphatically stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement would maintain its distance from voting sites.

“Any suggestion that ICE is going to be present at polling places is simply disinformation,” Honey said, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussion. “There will be no ICE presence at polling locations.”

The clarification comes amid a politically charged environment surrounding both immigration enforcement and election administration. Tensions escalated earlier this month when Steve Bannon, former White House adviser under the Trump administration, declared on his “War Room” podcast that “you’re damn right we’re going to have ICE surround the polls come November,” suggesting such measures would prevent election fraud.

When questioned about Bannon’s provocative comments, then-White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt offered an ambiguous response, calling the question “a very silly hypothetical” while acknowledging she was unaware of any “formal plans” by the president to deploy immigration agents to voting sites.

The controversy reflects broader disputes over federal authority in election administration. Earlier this year, former President Trump suggested that Republicans “ought to nationalize the voting” in certain jurisdictions, a statement that drew sharp criticism from constitutional experts who pointed out that the U.S. Constitution grants states primary jurisdiction over elections, with limited federal oversight.

The federal government’s history of attempting to regulate election procedures has faced significant judicial pushback. Courts have previously blocked executive actions aimed at changing voting requirements, particularly those mandating proof of citizenship for federal voter registration.

Despite the DHS reassurances, some Democratic officials remain skeptical of the administration’s intentions. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, who participated in Wednesday’s call, expressed continued concern.

“I can’t depend on an election denier like that for the truth under any circumstances. So, they need to get better spokespeople who actually have some integrity,” Fontes remarked, indicating deep distrust of the administration’s election-related statements.

Other participants in the call described receiving “conflicting messages” about the federal government’s intended role in the electoral process, with one suggesting the outreach seemed perfunctory rather than substantive—merely an effort to “check the box” that communication had occurred.

The dispute highlights the increasingly fraught relationship between federal agencies and state election officials, who are primarily responsible for administering and securing voting processes across the country.

Election security experts note that the presence of law enforcement at polling locations—particularly immigration enforcement—could have a chilling effect on voter participation, especially in communities with significant immigrant populations. Historical precedent shows that perceived threats of immigration enforcement have previously suppressed turnout among eligible voters in such communities.

The DHS statement represents an attempt to defuse tensions ahead of what promises to be a highly contentious election cycle, though lingering trust issues between state and federal authorities may complicate efforts to ensure smooth electoral operations.

As November approaches, state election officials continue preparations to secure voting systems and ensure accessibility for all eligible voters, even as debates over federal involvement in the electoral process intensify in Washington.