Former White House Strategist Steve Bannon Urges Immigration Agents at Polling Sites Ahead of Midterms
In a chilling statement, former White House strategist Steve Bannon called for immigration agents to be stationed at polling sites in November, sparking fears among election officials. The far-right figure, closely tied to the Trump administration, made the remarks on his podcast show "War Room" without any formal authority, but with significant influence.
Bannon repeated debunked claims that undocumented immigrants vote in large numbers and suggested that their participation led to Democratic electoral victories. He also threatened ICE agents would surround polls come November, sparking concerns about voter intimidation and racial profiling.
In recent weeks, thousands of immigration agents have surged in Minnesota, prompting a demand from the US attorney general for the state to turn over its voter rolls to the federal government. The Department of Justice has requested access to voter rolls in several states but election officials have fought back against the requests citing privacy and security concerns.
The proposal is seen as a thinly veiled attempt by Trump administration allies to undermine confidence in the electoral process and restrict voting rights for marginalized communities. Election officials are worried that immigration agents at polling sites would create an intimidating environment, discouraging eligible voters from casting their ballots.
In fact, law enforcement presence near polling places has been shown to have a chilling effect on voter turnout, particularly among certain demographics. Immigration agents, in particular, have sparked fear and anxiety among US citizens and lawful residents, who are concerned about detention or racial profiling.
The Trump administration's attempts to overtake election management have been met with resistance from courts and Congress, which has considered bills requiring proof of citizenship for voting but seen little progress. The proposal by Bannon is another disturbing development in the ongoing saga of voter suppression efforts.
In a chilling statement, former White House strategist Steve Bannon called for immigration agents to be stationed at polling sites in November, sparking fears among election officials. The far-right figure, closely tied to the Trump administration, made the remarks on his podcast show "War Room" without any formal authority, but with significant influence.
Bannon repeated debunked claims that undocumented immigrants vote in large numbers and suggested that their participation led to Democratic electoral victories. He also threatened ICE agents would surround polls come November, sparking concerns about voter intimidation and racial profiling.
In recent weeks, thousands of immigration agents have surged in Minnesota, prompting a demand from the US attorney general for the state to turn over its voter rolls to the federal government. The Department of Justice has requested access to voter rolls in several states but election officials have fought back against the requests citing privacy and security concerns.
The proposal is seen as a thinly veiled attempt by Trump administration allies to undermine confidence in the electoral process and restrict voting rights for marginalized communities. Election officials are worried that immigration agents at polling sites would create an intimidating environment, discouraging eligible voters from casting their ballots.
In fact, law enforcement presence near polling places has been shown to have a chilling effect on voter turnout, particularly among certain demographics. Immigration agents, in particular, have sparked fear and anxiety among US citizens and lawful residents, who are concerned about detention or racial profiling.
The Trump administration's attempts to overtake election management have been met with resistance from courts and Congress, which has considered bills requiring proof of citizenship for voting but seen little progress. The proposal by Bannon is another disturbing development in the ongoing saga of voter suppression efforts.
this is getting crazy! Steve Bannon wants immigration agents at polling sites? That's just plain intimidation tactics 
. It's like, no one's above the law, right? I mean, I get it, some people might be worried about voter fraud, but these claims are super debunked 
. And what's next? Police at schools or grocery stores? 
No way that's gonna fly... well, maybe in some states 
.
this guy steve bannon is just a master manipulator 
. I've had friends who are immigrants or have immigrant family members, and they're already living in fear of being deported or profiled by ICE. The idea that these agents would be stationed at polling sites is just a recipe for disaster 
.
. It's just not true, but it's definitely causing a lot of anxiety among people.
. We can't let the Trump administration's allies undermine our democracy like this 
.
Oh man, this is getting super concerning! Steve Bannon's suggestion to have immigration agents at polling sites is a huge red flag 
bannon's comments about immigration agents at polling sites are straight up creepy 
it's like he's trying to intimidate people from voting just because they're not documented 
and election officials are right to push back on this 
the whole thing feels like a thinly veiled attempt to restrict voting rights for marginalized communities 
It's like something out of a bad movie. 
no thanks america needs people like him to keep us on our toes (and worried) 
i get that some folks might be worried about vote fraud, but come on, immigration agents patrolling polling sites? that's just intimidation tactics plain and simple 
. i mean we already have enough issues with voter ID laws and gerrymandering - do we really need to add this to the mix? 
.
I mean, isn't that just a recipe for voter intimidation? They're already doing enough to chill people's votes with all these voting restrictions, now they want to make polling places feel like a war zone? It's not hard to imagine how this would affect people of color or immigrants who are already worried about their rights... 
... I mean, what's next? Polling site checkpoints with CBP agents or ICE goons?