1. United States
2. Del.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge immediate congressional action to prevent the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement from conducting immigration enforcement operations at or near polling places during federal elections. Recent statements from administration-aligned officials, combined with expanded ICE enforcement authority and ongoing litigation against states seeking to protect voters, make clear that the risk of federal immigration agents appearing at polling locations is both foreseeable and serious. This concern became explicit when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to guarantee that ICE agents would not be present at polling places in November. Federal courts have long recognized that voter intimidation does not require overt threats. The presence of armed law enforcement near polling sites has a well‑documented chilling effect on lawful voters, especially in immigrant communities and communities of color. Nothing in federal law authorizes immigration enforcement at polling places, and past federal guidance has treated these locations as sensitive civic spaces requiring protection from coercion. Congress should not wait for a constitutional violation to occur on Election Day. I respectfully urge you to: -Prohibit DHS and ICE enforcement operations within a defined radius of polling places during federal elections -Require clear, public DHS guidance barring immigration enforcement tied to election activity -Condition DHS appropriations on compliance with these restrictions -Hold immediate oversight hearings with DHS, ICE, and the DOJ Civil Rights Division regarding election‑period enforcement plans Free and fair elections depend on public confidence that voting is safe, accessible, and free from intimidation. Ensuring that federal law enforcement is never used—directly or indirectly—to deter lawful voters is a constitutional obligation, not a partisan request.