Illinois Governor warns Trump may deploy armed ICE agents to voting sites
Gov. JB Pritzker warned that Donald Trump could send ICE and CBP officers in camouflage, armed with automatic weapons, to polling places.
On one outlet’s “The Arena,” Gov. JB Pritzker asserted that President Donald Trump may dispatch ICE and Customs-Border Protection personnel to polling stations, dressed in camouflage and equipped with automatic weapons, echoing past deployments in Chicago and Minnesota. He referenced successful lawsuits that prevented the National Guard from being used in Illinois, but said those rulings do not stop Trump from using ICE or CBP.
Pritzker emphasized the governor’s duty to safeguard voting rights, calling for state or party escorts to keep armed agents at a distance of 100 feet from ballot boxes. He warned that such a move would threaten voter safety and the integrity of the election process. The governor’s remarks aim to pre-empt any federal interference in the upcoming vote.
Why it matters
The claim raises concerns about federal law-enforcement presence potentially intimidating voters in upcoming elections.
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