In the wake of the killing of two US citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis, and a wave of violence and civil rights violations, including racial profiling, ICE approval has become extremely difficult. Lowest level ever Among the American public, more Americans now say they want to abolish the agency rather than keep it, according to the American “space” website. To the ballot boxes.
Nearly half of all Arizona residents are nonwhite. Under this proposal, there would be almost no way for them to vote without the supervision of a federal immigration agent.
the note Submitting text to Senate Bill 1570 “requires such an agreement to provide the presence of federal immigration enforcement personnel during all hours when voting is being conducted, or ballots are being deposited, including early voting locations, Election Day polling locations, and ballot drop box locations.”
It also “allows federal immigration enforcement officials to monitor election activities and perform lawful duties within the scope of their federal authority.”
Like Jerrod MacDonald Evoy male to arizona Mirror, Observing elections is explicitly outside the “legal duties” of ICE agents.
The suggestion…seems to be in direct conflict federal law, Which prohibits “any troops or armed men” forming part of the “civil, military, or naval service of the United States” from being deployed to polling places. The only exception is if doing so is necessary to “repel armed enemies of the United States.”
The proposal was introduced by Senator Jake Huffman (R-15), president of the Arizona Freedom Caucus, whose page is on the official website Website The Arizona State Legislature states that its “mission” is “to destroy the progress of Marxist communists at every level.”
His draft law prohibits agents from “interfering with the process of casting or depositing votes, except as otherwise permitted by law.” However, Hoffman suggested that proxies are intended to check who is allowed to vote and who is not.
“The goal is to deter violations before they happen, ensure current laws are followed, and protect the rights of every legal voter,” Huffman said Tuesday. “Just as important, the legislation makes clear that voting cannot be disrupted, and that no one should be targeted simply for participating in an election. When voters see that the rules are applied fairly and consistently, confidence in the outcome follows.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has instructed agents to detain people without warrants and conduct “mobile patrols” that take into account people’s race and language spoken. There are numerous documented cases in which agents have stopped and detained American citizens solely because of their accent.
After floating the idea of ​​completely canceling the 2026 midterm elections for fear of losing, President Donald Trump recently called on Republicans to “nationalize voting” in some Democratic strongholds in violation of the Constitution.
A top ally of the president and a former White House strategist, Steve Bannon, said earlier this month that Trump should “have ICE surround the polls” on Election Day so Democrats don’t “steal the country again” — a reference to the baseless claim. refute Through numerous investigations and lawsuits, the 2020 election was rigged against Trump.
The White House ever since to request To reduce concerns that agents might break into ballot boxes later this year.
At a news conference last week, Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt said deploying ICE to polls was “not something I had heard the president consider before.” But she also hedged, saying, “I can’t guarantee that an ICE agent won’t be around the polling site in November.”
Todd Lyons, Acting Chief of ICE, content Members of Congress said during a hearing last week that “there is no reason to use ICE officers” at polling places.
However, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem did just that Hint That her agency, which oversees Immigration, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), would have a role in determining who is allowed to vote.
“When Election Day arrived, we were proactive to make sure the right people were voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country,” she said Friday.
The comments were made while Noem was on a visit to Arizona to promote the American Voter Eligibility Protection Act, more commonly known as the SAVE Act.
This bill, proposed by Republicans in the US Congress, would require voters to prove their citizenship – not just provide voter ID – in order to vote, which is what supporters are demanding. to caution It would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters. Noem said she discussed the election with Arizona officials.
An Arizona bill to allow ICE to participate in polls, which will get a Senate hearing on Wednesday, suggests that Republicans there expect Trump’s forces to be on their way in November.
Garrett Archer, data analyst and reporter at ABC15 Arizona, He said Republican activists in the state view the bill as a “telegram of a potential Trump executive order.”
“An executive order cannot force states to force voters to show ID to vote,” he wrote on social media. “But what they can do is send federal agents to polling places to conduct identity checks.”
Republicans control both chambers of the Arizona Legislature and could theoretically pass the bill without Democratic support. However, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is unlikely to sign it.
Elvia Diaz, former editorial page editor and contributor to arizona republic, He said Although this requirement is unlikely to become law, “just the idea is scary.”
“This indicates once again that Republicans under Trump are laying the groundwork to militarize the electoral process,” she wrote in a blog post. “Putting armed immigration agents in the same locations where citizens exercise their right to vote is similar to the type of intimidation tactics we see in authoritarian regimes.”
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