Will the White House have ICE agents near polling places during the midterm elections in November?
Asked about that this week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not rule it out.
The idea came from former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who said this week that “we’re going to have ICE surround the polls come November.” Bannon is not part of the administration, but he sometimes floats ideas that are present in the MAGA world.
BREAKING: WH Press Secy. Karoline Leavitt “can’t guarantee” ICE agents won’t be around polling sites come November. MS NOW analyst @esglaude joins The Weeknight to discuss Donald Trump’s attempts to undermine the vote in Democratic strongholds. pic.twitter.com/ohis0NaIQc
— The Weeknight on MS NOW (@weeknightmsnow) February 5, 2026
A reporter asked Leavitt if that was something under active consideration.
Reporter: Can you guarantee to the American public that ICE will not be around polling locations in November?
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: “I can’t guarantee that an ICE agent won’t be around a polling location in November. That’s frankly a very silly… pic.twitter.com/qCtC1X545j
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) February 5, 2026
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
“That’s not something I’ve ever heard the president consider, no,” Leavitt said. But when the press secretary was asked if she can “guarantee” that such a thing wouldn’t happen, she answered, “I can’t guarantee that an ICE agent won’t be around a polling location in November.”
“I mean frankly, that’s a very silly, hypothetical question,” she added, “but what I can tell you is I haven’t heard the president discuss any formal plans to put ICE outside of polling locations.”
Should the White House attempt to send ICE agents to polling places, they would likely face legal challenges.
There were some shocked reactions:
This needs to be part of any DHS funding package. No immigration enforcement actions anywhere near any polling place on Election Day. With specific language allowing judges to enjoin any such action and harsh automatic penalties for violating the law. https://t.co/mYXEQWgsfB
— Patterico (@Patterico) February 5, 2026
Wake up, America: Federal agents were deployed at last year’s Prop 50 launch in LA and at polling places across the nation.
Trump is using fear tactics to escape accountability at the ballot box. https://t.co/JfHGUDfs7T
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) February 5, 2026
I’ll be at my local polling location on election day and willing to walk with anyone who feels uncomfortable from their car to the polling location door.
Glad to do so to ensure these thugs aren’t going to desecrate the system given to us by the framers. https://t.co/RWOHGJ0NIk
— Mr. C (@CCovey15) February 5, 2026
Time for states to pass laws protecting their polling stations? Bannon (and Leavitt) are telegraphing they are hoping ICE goons can intimidate Democrats come election time. https://t.co/S1DdrDgak2
— OregonTREES4you ❤️ (@plato1123) February 5, 2026
Then again, it’s worth noting that while members of the Trump Administration had on more than one occasion threatened ICE enforcement at the Super Bowl, although the NFL announced this week that ICE is not among the federal agencies that will have a presence at the game on Sunday.
“There are no planned ICE enforcement activities. We are confident of that,” NFL chief security officer Cathy Lanier told ESPN.
Photo courtesy of the Political Tribune media library.
