ICE is already showing up near voting sites, bolstering lawsuit against armed agents at polls

Key Points:

• Voting rights groups have expanded a lawsuit seeking to prevent armed federal agents, including ICE and FBI personnel, from operating near polling places during the midterm elections, citing recent ICE activity and new evidence of voter intimidation.
• An ICE detention occurred near a California ballot drop box on the first day of voting, forcing voters to pass through an area where agents were active, raising concerns about voter intimidation.
• In Minnesota’s Hennepin County, federal agents have entered election sites multiple times, causing distress among election workers and prompting extensive county preparations, including training and contingency plans to mitigate risks.
• Fear of federal immigration enforcement is reportedly reducing voter outreach effectiveness, with one nonprofit noting a sharp decline in door-knock response rates and voter registrations among African immigrant communities.
• The amended lawsuit now includes claims under the Voting Rights Act against the Department of Justice and FBI, alleging policies that permit armed agents at polling places, which plaintiffs argue intimidate voters, especially naturalized citizens and those in mixed-status families.