The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, and the White House have dismissed speculation that ICE would be sent to polling locations in the 2026 elections. Democrats have raised fears about the rumor, which was started by Steve Bannon, one of President Donald Trump’s top advisers during his first term in office, who now runs a podcast.
This week, Blanche, the second-highest-ranking official in the Justice Department, revived speculation as he asked attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference, “Why is there objection to sending ICE officers to polling places?”
“Illegals can’t vote. It doesn’t make any sense,” he told the CPAC audience. “You all probably had to show your ID five times since you came into this place. It baffles me.
Bannon initially said in February that “We’re going to have ICE surround the polls come November,” sparking uproar from figures such as Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA). On Monday, Bannon again expressed confidence on his War Room podcast that “ICE is going to be there in the fall of ‘26.” Bannon suggested that Trump’s recent move to deploy ICE to some airports to boost security presence is the president’s method of “training” ICE to check IDs and be involved in the midterm elections.
“I want the mainstream media’s head to blow up today,” Bannon said during his podcast episode. “We can use what’s happening with these ICE [officers] helping out at the airports. We can use this as a test run, as a test case to really perfect ICE’s involvement in the 2026 midterm election.”
“They’re trained to, wait for it, check IDs,” Bannon said. “That’s why it’s perfect training for the fall of 2026. This is why it’s such a brilliant — this is another 5D chess move from President Trump,” he added. “That’s what’s going to happen in the fall of 2026. Because, folks, we’re tired of having elections stolen. ICE is going to be there in the fall of ‘26, just like they’re in airports today.”
In late February, Heather Honey, the assistant homeland security secretary for election integrity, dismissed Bannon’s initial comments, assuring election officials nationwide that “any suggestion that ICE is going to be present at polling places is simply disinformation.”
Trump’s press secretary similarly sought to downplay Bannon’s statements.
“That’s not something I’ve ever heard the president consider, no,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a Feb. 5 media briefing. “I can’t guarantee that an ICE agent won’t be around a polling location in November. I mean, that’s frankly a very silly hypothetical question. But what I can tell you is I haven’t heard the president discuss any formal plans to put ICE outside of polling locations.”
Democrats have said the presence of ICE officers at polling stations would be in effect an intimidation technique by the administration.
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Despite the pushback, Blanche and border czar Tom Homan have expressed openness to the idea. Homan said earlier this week that Democrats should have nothing to be “afraid” of, regarding having ICE at polling centers.
“Bottom line is, what are they afraid of? And they say illegal aliens don’t vote. Well, look, you know, part of DHS’ job is secure elections, and I’m not going to say, you know, you know, what our plan is going forward, but if only U.S. citizens can vote, I don’t see the issue of what they’re concerned about,” Homan said on The Charlie Kirk Show.
