Elections
Denver, advocacy groups sue to block ICE presence at polling sites
PN Team • 2 months ago
Denver has joined the League of United Latin American Citizens, Common Cause and UnidosUS in a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Markwayne Mullin, ICE and Acting ICE Director David Venturella, seeking to block armed immigration agents from being stationed at polling sites during the midterms. The suit argues such deployments would violate a Civil War-era law barring armed federal forces at election sites except to repel armed enemies, and cites past ICE activity near polling locations in Texas, California and New York as evidence of a broader "Polling Place Policy."
DHS disputes that any such policy exists, saying enforcement is intelligence-driven and tied to specific threats or active warrants, a point Mullin has echoed. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Clerk and Recorder Paul López say the city has trained election workers to identify and respond to federal agents, and vowed to remove and prosecute any agents unlawfully present. The case adds to Denver's ongoing legal clashes with the administration over immigration enforcement.
Sources:
Sentiment
- Markwayne Mullin Mullin is named as a defendant and quoted defending the policy, associating him with the disputed enforcement actions.
- California California is mentioned only as a location of past ICE activity cited as evidence, a factual reference.
- New York (state) New York is mentioned only as a location of past ICE activity cited as evidence, a factual reference.
- Texas Texas is mentioned only as a location of past ICE activity cited as evidence, a factual reference.