U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement warned that it would pursue people who vote illegally on Election Day. (Foto: Instagram)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) posted a warning on Tuesday, Nov. 3, the day of the U.S. midterm elections, saying it would track down, arrest and prosecute anyone who “votes illegally.” The agency’s message on X said it would find and hold accountable people who violate election rules.
“If you vote illegally, we will find you. We will track you down, arrest you and prosecute you. There will be no escape,” ICE wrote. The post came amid concerns about possible voter intimidation during the election.
Civil rights organizations have gone to court to challenge the presence of federal agents near polling places. The government, in turn, said ICE and FBI personnel would not serve as election observers.
The warning came as the administration of President Donald Trump expanded efforts to investigate possible illegal voting by people who are not U.S. citizens. Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, though cases of such violations are considered rare.
On Monday, Nov. 2, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the federal government’s request to set aside about 20,000 California ballots while voters’ citizenship status was checked. The Trump administration said the voters’ names appeared on a list of people it considered possibly noncitizens and sought to prevent their ballots from being counted before their immigration status was confirmed.
The court rejected the request in an unsigned decision that offered no detailed explanation. No dissenting votes were recorded. Lower courts had already rejected the federal government’s effort, and California officials argued that the government had provided no evidence that people on the list were noncitizens or had cast ballots.
Polling places opened across all 50 states on Tuesday for the midterm elections, which will determine the makeup of the House of Representatives and part of the Senate, as well as state offices. Thirty-five of the Senate’s 100 seats, all 435 House seats and 36 governorships are on the ballot. Vermont was the first state to begin voting, at 7:15 a.m. Brasília time; the District of Columbia is also participating.
The election is taking place amid pressure on Trump’s administration, with questions about its governance, the prolonged war against Iran and the rising cost of living. More than 58 million voters had cast early ballots nationwide, according to a University of Florida tally, an increase over the early-vote total in the 2022 midterms. Voters are also deciding ballot measures on topics ranging from election-administration rules to abortion access.
