Trump Ally Suggests Deploying ICE Agents to Polling Places for Midterms

Steve Bannon and other conservatives argue it's needed to prevent illegal voting, but critics say it risks voter intimidation.

Mar. 24, 2026 at 11:36am

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Steve Bannon, a former White House strategist and close ally of former President Trump, has suggested deploying ICE agents to polling places as a "test run" for the 2026 midterm elections. Bannon and other conservatives argue it's needed to prevent illegal voting by non-citizens, but critics say it risks violating norms against voter intimidation and could deter turnout among eligible voters.

Why it matters

Advocates of stricter election enforcement argue that illegal voting by non-citizens is a legitimate concern, though multiple studies and election officials have found instances of such voting to be rare. Critics, including civil rights groups, argue that placing armed federal agents at polling locations risks violating long-standing legal norms against voter intimidation and could deter turnout among eligible voters.

The details

Bannon was speaking amid an ongoing partial federal government shutdown that has left many Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers working without pay and sparked staffing challenges at major airports. In response, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) authorized ICE personnel to assist in some airport operations, such as managing crowd movement and checking identification. Bannon suggested this could be a "test run" for ICE's potential role during the 2026 midterm elections.

  • The midterms will take place in November 2026.

The players

Steve Bannon

A former White House strategist and close ally of former President Trump.

Mike Davis

A conservative commentator who endorsed the idea of deploying federal immigration agents to polling places in the upcoming November midterms.

Veronica Escobar

A U.S. Representative from Texas who said "Donald Trump and his administration have made clear their intention to interfere with the midterms."

April McClain Delaney

A U.S. Representative from Maryland who announced she will introduce the Democracy Without Intimidation Act, a bill aimed at preventing federal law enforcement officers from showing up at polling places.

John B. Larson, Nikema Williams, Veronica Escobar

U.S. Representatives who have introduced the Stop ICE Election Militarization Act, which would criminalize interference at polling places and restrict immigration enforcement in the four weeks leading up to federal elections.

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What they’re saying

“We can use this as a test run, as a test case, to really perfect ICE's involvement in the 2026 midterms.”

— Steve Bannon, Former White House Strategist

“I think we should have ICE agents at the polling place because if you're an illegal alien, you can't vote. It's against the law. It's a federal crime for you to vote in federal elections. And so if you're an American citizen, you should be happy that ICE is there, because you're not going to have illegal aliens cancelling out your vote.”

— Mike Davis, Conservative Commentator

“Donald Trump and his administration have made clear their intention to interfere with the midterms.”

— Veronica Escobar, U.S. Representative

“ICE is not planning operations targeting polling locations. ICE conducts intelligence-driven targeted enforcement, and if an active public safety threat endangered a polling location, they may be arrested as a result of that targeted enforcement action.”

— DHS Official

“You're damn right we're gonna have ICE surround the polls come November. We're not gonna sit here and allow you to steal the country again. And you can whine and cry and throw your toys out of the pram all you want, but we will never again allow an election to be stolen.”

— Steve Bannon, Former White House Strategist

What’s next

House Democrats have proposed legislation to bar ICE agents from polling places during the 2026 midterm elections. The Democracy Without Intimidation Act and the Stop ICE Election Militarization Act aim to prevent federal law enforcement from interfering at polling locations.

The takeaway

This debate highlights the ongoing partisan tensions over election security and voter access, with conservatives arguing for stricter enforcement to prevent illegal voting, while critics warn that deploying federal agents at polling places risks violating norms against voter intimidation and could deter turnout among eligible voters.