States Coordinate Ahead Of Possible ICE Operations Near Polls

Officials in states including Maine, Michigan, New Mexico and Oregon said they are coordinating with local authorities and attorneys general.

, and TIPP Staff

September 17, 2026 . 7:32 AM

2 min read

State election officials are preparing for the possibility of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents appearing near polling places during this fall’s elections, according to Axios.

The preparations follow comments from President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin suggesting federal immigration agents could be present while carrying out warrants.

Officials in states including Maine, Michigan, New Mexico and Oregon said they are coordinating with local authorities and attorneys general. New Mexico plans to train election workers to ask unauthorized individuals to leave voting areas and escalate the matter to law enforcement or courts if necessary.

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Michigan officials said ICE has no routine role at polling locations and warned that activity near voters could raise concerns about intimidation.

DHS told Axios that ICE is not planning operations targeting polling sites. The agency said agents could make targeted arrests if an active public safety threat required intervention.

The preparations come as federal election security resources have also been reduced. Axios reported that the Trump administration has made significant cuts to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, including regional offices involved in election security.

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