The WatchlistWatch 5
This is a Watchlist entry. It is a developing story reported by credible outlets that hasn't reached a court ruling, official finding or documented harm yet. It says what to watch for. If that happens, it moves to The Record.
Refusing to rule out troops or ICE at the polls
Developing means: Reported by credible outlets, but no ruling, official finding or documented harm yet.
With the midterms weeks away, administration officials have repeatedly declined to rule out sending National Guard troops or federal agents to polling places.
What happened
Asked directly, Trump said he would do anything necessary to ensure honest elections. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said ICE agents could serve warrants at polling places, FBI Director Kash Patel wavered on whether agents would be there, and Hegseth sidestepped the question. Earlier this year Trump told the New York Times he regretted not having the National Guard seize voting machines in 2020. On Sept. 10, the city and county of Denver, Common Cause, LULAC and UnidosUS sued in federal court in Washington, the first lawsuit against the administration over the issue, asking a judge to stop armed immigration agents from serving warrants at polling sites. The suit alleges that in May armed agents detained a person in the parking lot of an active polling site in San Antonio, in view of voters, and that in June ICE agents entered a polling site in Syracuse, New York, to question an election volunteer about a social media post. The Justice Department is also sending election monitors to polling places for the midterms. On Sept. 28, Hegseth directed the military to defend the midterms from foreign interference; HuffPost reported that the memo puts the department's cyber and intelligence capabilities first.
What to watch for
Whether troops or armed agents are actually sent to a polling place on or before Election Day, Nov. 3, and how the court rules in the Denver lawsuit. Federal law makes it a crime to bring troops or armed federal officers to a polling place, except to repel armed enemies of the United States.
The administration's side
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine told senators the military has no plans to intervene in the midterms, and Homeland Security says it is not planning operations targeting polling locations. Mullin says ICE is not patrolling polling places and would be at one only to respond to a threat or serve a warrant, and he has called Democrats' warnings fearmongering. On Oct. 4, Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Fox News Sunday that it is "completely false" that the Justice Department's election monitors will be armed, called the idea fearmongering, and said the department's monitoring of elections is not new.
Sources
Permanent link: https://unredactedrecord.com/e/w-polls/