1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

Any funding for DHS, ICE or CBP must be contingent on an absolute prohibition of the presence of federal agents, armed or unarmed, at polling places or in any other location where their presence may serve to intimidate voters or in any way suppress voter participation in elections -- especially for the mid-term elections -- anywhere in the country. President Trump and his advisors and allies continue to make it very clear that they will do everything in their power to subvert free and fair elections. With the mid-terms less than nine months away, immediate action is essential. Since the Trump administration has repeatedly shown their contempt for the law, there must be multiple means of ensuring compliance. For example: • An automatic loss of funding if they show up at polling places. • Create and enact a national framework prohibiting all forms of voter suppression and intimidation. Make it clear that engaging in any form of voter intimidation or vote suppression is not an "official duty," and that doing so opens them up to both state and federal charges. • Reform the presidential pardon power so that it cannot be used to protect people for crimes committed in support of voter suppression or other impeachable offenses (even if the president is not impeached or convicted for the offense). President Trump's repeated and unfounded attacks on the integrity of our elections and his clear animus toward people of color and other marginalized groups make it all too likely that he will attempt to use the power of the federal government to suppress the vote and intimidate anyone who might vote against him. Those actions carry the very real risk of more violence. It is completely irresponsible to provide any funding to DHS, ICE, or CBP until they comply with the letter and spirit of the law.