Denver, LULAC Sue Trump Administration to Keep Armed ICE Agents Away From Polling Places

The City and County of Denver, joined by LULAC, Common Cause, UnidosUS and other voting-rights groups, filed suit Thursday, September 10, 2026, in federal court in Washington, D.C. against Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, challenging the Trump-Vance administration's September 1 policy authorizing armed ICE officers to enter polling places to serve warrants or conduct immigration-enforcement activity during the November 2026 midterms. The suit invokes 18 U.S.C. § 592, a Civil War-era law barring armed federal forces from polling places, arguing the policy amounts to voter intimidation aimed at Latino communities. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said 'the right to vote without fear of intimidation is fundamental to democracy. Stationing ICE agents near polling places is only meant to scare people and suppress votes.' A DHS spokesperson countered that ICE has no operation specifically targeting polling locations planned but could make arrests at a site it deems an 'active public safety threat.' The complaint cites ICE activity near polling places in San Antonio, Ventura County, and Syracuse during May-June 2026 primaries, though none occurred in Colorado.