Krishnamoorthi Sounds Alarm as Trump Administration Continues to Threaten to Deploy Armed Federal Agents to Polling Places

September 4, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today sounded the alarm as the Trump Administration continues to threaten the deployment of ICE, CBP, or other armed federal agents at or near polling places during the 2026 midterm elections, warning that their presence could intimidate voters and suppress lawful participation. In a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Krishnamoorthi demanded a definitive statement of DHS policy after Mullin’s latest comments again left open the possibility of ICE appearing at polling places. President Trump has also said he would “do anything necessary” when asked whether he would send ICE or the National Guard to voting sites. In the letter, Krishnamoorthi writes: “With early voting and Election Day fast approaching, voters should not have to wonder whether federal immigration agents could appear at or near their polling place while they are casting their ballots. The presence of armed federal agents at or near a polling location—even when ostensibly responding to a separate law-enforcement matter—could create confusion, fear, or intimidation and could discourage eligible voters from exercising their constitutional right to vote.” Krishnamoorthi warned that the threat is no longer theoretical. Republican candidates in Georgia, Maine, and Michigan have publicly discussed sending law enforcement, including ICE agents, U.S. Marshals, retired police officers, and the National Guard, to polling places in November. One candidate for governor of Maine has said he intends to ask the Trump Administration to send ICE agents and U.S. Marshals to voting sites. The letter also points to the extraordinary volume of DHS records concerning possible federal deployments at election sites. ICE and CBP have told a federal court that they identified more than 127,000 pages of potentially responsive records concerning possible deployments of federal agents near polling places, ballot drop boxes, or election offices, yet neither agency had produced a single page as of the most recent filing. Federal law sharply restricts the presence of armed personnel at polling places and separately prohibits federal officials from intimidating voters. Krishnamoorthi noted that election officials in at least eight states have already moved to establish buffer zones and other restrictions on federal agents near polling places in response to the Administration’s refusal to rule out such deployments. Krishnamoorthi writes: “The Department cannot simultaneously maintain, on one hand, that ICE has ‘no reason’ to be near a polling place, and on the other, that its Special Response Teams stand ready to deploy there. As the Department's Secretary, you are uniquely positioned to end this ambiguity.” Krishnamoorthi is demanding that DHS provide: A definitive, unqualified statement of Department policy on whether ICE, CBP, or any other DHS component will deploy personnel to, or within sight of, any polling place, ballot drop box, or election office during the early voting period or on Election Day 2026. All guidance, directives, memoranda, or operational plans — including any related to Special Response Team deployment — concerning the presence of DHS personnel at or near polling locations for the 2026 elections. A precise definition of the “specific threat” standard you have described publicly, including who within the Department is authorized to determine that the standard has been met and what review, if any, occurs before agents are dispatched to a polling site. A status update on ICE's and CBP's document production in the pending Democratic National Committee FOIA litigation, including a timeline for completing review and release of the identified records. Copies of any communications between Department leadership and the White House, the Department of Justice, the Department of Defense, or outside political advisers regarding the potential deployment of federal personnel to polling places in 2026. Confirmation of what guidance, if any, the Department has issued to field offices regarding compliance with state buffer-zone laws that restrict federal agents' proximity to polling places. Krishnamoorthi requested a response by September 10, 2026 and his letter is available here .