Since returning to office for a second term, United States President Donald Trump has embarked on a campaign to root out and deport the country’s undocumented immigrants.
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Trump → return → immigrants
Spearheading that campaign is Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal agency housed in the Department of Homeland Security.
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Immigration → spearhead → Security
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administration → sue → rolls
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Under Trump, the agency has grown substantially, boasting 22,000 officers and agents as of January, a staffing increase of 120 percent.
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agency → reiterate → percent
Thanks to recent spending packages, ICE is also considered the best-funded federal law enforcement agency in the US.
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ICE → consider → US
But the agency, founded in 2003, has come under increased scrutiny for its aggressive tactics and expedited hiring techniques.
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agency → found → tactics
At least 60 people have also died in ICE custody since January 2025.
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people → die → January
That track record has made democracy advocates and human rights groups worried about ICE’s activities in the lead-up to the November 3 midterm elections.
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advocates → make → elections
Organisations like Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have voiced concern that the Trump administration could use ICE to intimidate voters.
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administration → voice → voters
The threat of encountering ICE agents could also keep some voters away from the ballot box, the groups say.
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groups → encounter → box
One national poll, conducted in September by the University of California, San Diego, found that 40 percent of respondents expected ICE agents to be present near polling stations on election day.
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agents → conduct → day
Can ICE agents legally operate at or near polling stations?
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agents → operate → stations
Federal law prohibits the use of armed federal agents at polling stations.
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law → prohibit → stations
Some states have similar provisions.
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states → have → provisions
The federal prohibition dates back to 1865.
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prohibition → date → 1865
The law reads that it is illegal for anyone “engaged in the civil, military or naval service of the United States” to order or bring “any troops or armed men” to election sites.
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anyone → read → sites
There is, however, a loophole if such force is needed “to keep peace at the polls” or “to repel armed enemies of the United States”.
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force → be → States
Another federal law prohibits members of the military from interfering with elections, and several other laws prohibit efforts to “intimidate” voters.
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laws → prohibit → voters
Those measures have been tested this year.
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measures → test → ?
During the primary elections for the midterms, there were at least two incidents – one in San Antonio, Texas, and another in Ventura County, California – where ICE agents reportedly conducted routine operations near polling stations.
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agents → be → stations
In both cases, the ICE agents left after being asked to do so by local police.
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agents → leave → police
How has the Trump administration used ICE agents before the election?
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administration → use → election
Though there are prohibitions against law enforcement near polling stations, advocacy groups say the Trump administration has nevertheless used ICE agents for election-related matters.
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administration → be → matters
ICE has different offices under its control, one of which is Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
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one → have → which
In the months leading up to this year’s midterm elections, HSI has reportedly been ordered to prioritise its investigations of non-citizen voting, an illegal act.
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HSI → lead → voting
Only US citizens are allowed to vote in federal elections.
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citizens → allow → elections
Starting in August, the Department of Homeland Security deployed HSI agents for “field investigations” in at least nine states to probe questions of voter eligibility.
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Department → start → eligibility
Some have reportedly gone door to door, asking residents if they are citizens and if they plan to vote.
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they → go → residents
This week, a federal judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security to pause those investigations, citing the risk that a US citizen could be “wrongly swept up” and “subjected to intimidation”.
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citizen → order → intimidation
The judge also noted a “high likelihood of error” in how the federal agents were identifying alleged non-citizens.
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agents → note → citizens
Trump has pointed to non-citizen voting as support for his false claims of pervasive voter fraud.
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Trump → point → fraud
Experts, though, say such fears are unfounded, with tiny numbers of non-citizens actually taking part in elections, despite Trump’s depictions of the issue as a widespread problem.
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numbers → say → problem
What has the Trump administration said about deploying ICE during the midterms?
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administration → say → midterms
Trump officials have refused to rule out using ICE agents to stop illegal voting, an effort that could extend to election day itself.
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that → refuse → day
In May, Trump was asked by reporters: “For the midterm elections, would you send the National Guard or ICE to voting locations in November?”
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you → ask → November
Trump declined to answer directly.
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Trump → decline → ?
“I’d do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections.
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we → do → elections
We have to have honest elections,” he replied.
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he → have → elections
Other leaders in his administration have issued similar statements.
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leaders → issue → statements
In September, for instance, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin affirmed that ICE would not “patrol” polling stations, but he suggested its agents could be there for other reasons.
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agents → affirm → reasons
…and 10 more, not listed.
The Aporia
