The Ballot Box & The Badge: Or, How to Intimidate Without Actually Saying 'Intimidate'
THE CLAIM: They Didn't Say They WOULDN'T The White House, responding to concerns about potential voter suppression via ICE presence at midterm polling locations, issues a remarkably tepid non-denial: they 'can’t guarantee an ICE agent won’t be around polling locations.' This curious statement follows comments from figures like Steve Bannon, who openly discussed 'surrounding' polling places. The
implication, for anyone not living under a rock, is quite clear: if you might be undocumented, maybe stay home. THE EVIDENCE: A History of Selective Enforcement Curiously, ICE's operational guidelines from 2010 (under the Obama administration, mind you) generally called for avoiding enforcement actions at 'sensitive locations' like schools, hospitals, and places of worship, largely including
public demonstrations and community events. One might wonder why, given the fundamental importance of democratic participation, polling places are not explicitly included or otherwise protected, especially when the Department of Justice has historically viewed federal law enforcement presence at polls as highly problematic, often requiring consultation with the Civil Rights Division (ACLU, 2018).
While direct, explicit prohibitions on ICE from polling places are rare, the historical understanding has been that federal agents would only be present under extraordinary circumstances, and certainly not for routine immigration enforcement. THE CONTRADICTIONS: Who Benefits From Non-Guarantees? The contradiction here is glaring. On the one hand, successive administrations have (at least verbally)