Bannon Calls for National Emergency to Deploy ICE at Midterm Polling Places

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon urged officials on Tuesday to issue a national-emergency proclamation allowing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents inside voting booths for the November midterms. Speaking on Real America’s Voice, Bannon said an “up-armored ICE presence” was needed to protect election integrity and deter non-citizen voting.

Newsweek

President Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned election legitimacy, claiming “non-citizen” voters pose a fraud risk despite lacking evidence. He has hinted a national emergency could be used to “federalize” the election if Congress does not pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship at registration and a photo ID to vote. The proposal follows a pattern of the Trump administration sending threatening letters to state election officials and removing members of the Election Assistance Commission.

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• More than 15 million votes have been cast securely in primary contests, according to state officials.

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• The MIT 2024 ranking placed Nevada’s election system second only to Minnesota.

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• 30 % of Nevada’s electorate identifies as Latino, a demographic that Bannon’s rhetoric could affect.

Newsweek

• The White House did not comment on Bannon’s proposal.

Newsweek

• Karoline Leavitt, former White House press secretary, said she had never heard the president consider placing ICE agents at polling sites and called the idea “a very silly hypothetical.”

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• Danielle Friedman, legal director of the State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School, warned the move would be “norm-breaking” and could destabilize the election environment.

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Bannon’s demand contrasts with the Department of Homeland Security’s statement that no polling-site operations are planned, leaving uncertainty about any legal ICE deployment. No executive order or memo has been presented, and scholars note a presidential emergency would not automatically override state election laws.

Newsweek

A declared emergency could permit federal agents inside polling places, raising concerns about voter intimidation, especially among immigrant communities. State officials are drafting legal defenses and training staff to resist potential federal overreach, emphasizing that the Constitution assigns primary election authority to the states.

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Trump has suggested invoking a national emergency if Congress fails to enact the SAVE America Act. Election-law experts say any such move would face immediate litigation, and states have prepared challenges and safeguards ahead of the November vote.

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• “You know why it's not going to happen? Because John Thune and the donors don't want it to happen. They think it's racist, they think it's nativist.” — Steve Bannon

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• “This is why we need a national emergency proclamation, a national emergency memo, about the upcoming elections,” — Steve Bannon

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• “Well, it ain't intimidation if you're a United States citizen.” — Steve Bannon

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• “That's not something I've ever heard the president consider,” — Karoline Leavitt

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• “There’s not one playbook states can follow to prepare them for the federal government acting as we anticipate they might [in November],” — Danielle Friedman

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