00:00Steve Bannon, a former White House advisor to President Donald Trump, said on his War War Room
00:04podcast that U.S. immigration and customs enforcement agents would be present around
00:08polling places during the November midterm elections, a claim that quickly triggered
00:12significant legal and political scrutiny nationwide. You're damn right we're going to have ICE surround
00:17the polls come November, Bannon said Tuesday while repeating allegations that past elections were
00:22stolen, though he provided no details about any official plan, coordination, or authorization from
00:28federal agencies. Voting rights groups and legal experts responded that federal and state laws
00:32restrict government agents from operating at polling places in ways that could intimidate voters or
00:37interfere with lawful participation. The Brennan Center for Justice noted that federal law prohibits
00:42activities that discourage or obstruct eligible voters from casting ballots freely. Bannon's
00:47remarks followed comments from Trump in a separate podcast interview urging Republicans to take over
00:52elections in multiple states, while again raising claims of widespread fraud tied to the 2020 election.
00:58Allegations repeatedly rejected by courts and election officials. News organizations sought
01:02comment from the White House and the Department of Homeland Security, but no immediate response was
01:06reported, and there has been no official confirmation that ICE would be deployed near polling sites.
01:11The debate comes amid broader political tensions over voting rules and immigration enforcement,
01:15with Republicans advancing proposals for stricter voter identification, and Democrats warning such
01:20measures could limit ballot access. Additional scrutiny of immigration enforcement followed fatal
01:25shootings involving U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Preddy during federal operations in Minneapolis last
01:30month, prompting bipartisan calls for investigations and policy reviews. During the podcast, Bannon and GOP
01:37fundraiser, Caroline Wren suggested Democrats oppose ICE funding to prevent agents from monitoring
01:42polling locations. Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Mark
01:48Warner, warned that deploying federal agents near polling places could undermine voter confidence,
01:52discourage turnout, and raise serious legal concerns. Follow for more political updates. Don't forget to
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