A senior DHS official said ICE will do its regular duties on the day of midterm elections, though Secretary Markwayne Mullin said agents would enter a polling place to serve a warrant.
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Thousands arrested in New York immigration operation as ICE promises no presence at polls
The U.S. announced thousands of arrests in a New York immigration operation (The New York Times), while DHS said ICE has no plans to be at polls for the midterms (NBC News). This is just routine enforcement and a commitment to fair elections. There's nothing unusual about agencies acting on their own schedule, and the promise not to appear at polling places is a sign of respect for the democratic process. If the timing seems close, that's just coincidence. We have to trust the agency to keep enforcement separate from election procedures—unless the optics get complicated, in which case, the official line is the only line. Did I say 'routine'? That sounds dismissive. The system works, or at least that's what we're told.
“ICE runs mass arrests in New York, but says they won't be at the polls for the midterms. The show of force stays in the streets, not in the polling place—until next time.”
“The agency is simply enforcing immigration law, and their promise not to be at the polls is official policy. It's important to separate enforcement actions from election procedures—wait, the timing seems close, but that's just coincidence.”
The receipts
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin did not say whether all those who were arrested had criminal records, but Gov. Kathy Hochul said she doubted it.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.