A group of Democratic senators led by Senator Ed Markey on Tuesday demanded answers from the Trump administration over whether it plans to deploy armed federal law enforcement officers or troops at polling locations during the November midterm elections.
In a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche — who has been nominated to take the post permanently — Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the lawmakers said any such deployment could "intimidate" voters and represent an escalation of what they described as an attack on free and fair elections.
The letter was also signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee ranking member Gary Peters, and other Democratic senators, including Richard Blumenthal, Tammy Duckworth, Chris Van Hollen, Raphael Warnock, Jeff Merkley, and Maria Cantwell, as well as Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats.
The senators cited Freedom of Information Act requests filed by the Democratic National Committee seeking records related to a possible deployment of federal personnel to polling sites, ballot drop boxes, and election offices.
According to the lawmakers, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initially said it had found no relevant records but later acknowledged identifying more than 11,000 potentially responsive pages after its search was challenged. US Customs and Border Protection also reported finding nearly 117,000 records, the senators said.
The lawmakers said the disclosures raised concerns that the administration may be preparing for a federal presence at election sites.
"In May, when President Trump was asked whether he would send the National Guard or ICE to polling places in November, he refused to rule it out," the senators wrote, quoting Donald Trump as saying he would "do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections."
The senators also pointed to Trump's previous comments about invoking the Insurrection Act to allow himself expanded powers, arguing that such statements have increased concerns about the potential use of federal power during elections.
The lawmakers said federal law prohibits the use of federal troops or armed personnel to interfere with elections and called on the administration to provide transparency.
They requested information by August 11 on whether federal law enforcement officers or military personnel would be deployed near polling locations, who authorised discussions about any potential deployment, and the release of related documents, including legal memos, operational plans, communications, and directives.
Run-up to November 3
After claiming he won the 2020 presidential election and alleging widespread voter fraud, Trump has urged the need for sweeping changes to electoral law before this year’s midterm congressional elections.
Democrats say that Trump’s frequent invocations of election security and allegations of election fraud are a ruse designed to give him power over the elections, though the Constitution says elections are controlled by the states.
They also say that months of aggressive ICE raids on immigrant communities mean a federal police or military presence at the polls could heavily discourage Hispanic Americans and other groups from voting.
Some three months before the November 3 congressional elections, most polls show Democrats on track to make gains in both houses of Congress.
Trump himself is not on the ballot, but more seats for Democrats — or the party gaining control of the House and/or Senate — could make it harder for Trump to govern in his last two years in office.
