DOJ says FBI and ICE personnel will not conduct monitoring during the midterm elections
LOS ANGELES:- The U.S. Department of Justice has stated that agents and employees of the FBI and ICE will not serve as election monitors during the upcoming midterm elections.
The Department of Justice made this commitment in court during the hearing of a lawsuit filed by the NAACP—a civil rights organization that works for the rights of the African-American community and for racial justice.
According to documents submitted to the court, election monitors will not act as law enforcement officials while carrying out their monitoring duties.
The monitors will primarily inspect polling stations and take notes; they will be strictly prohibited from carrying weapons.
The Justice Department has clarified that monitors have been trained not to interfere with the voting process and to comply with state and local regulations, in line with past practices.
While personnel from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the ATF, and the DEA will serve as monitors, no employees from the FBI or ICE will participate.
This ruling follows a lawsuit filed in court by the NAACP, which sought to prevent government prosecutors and security personnel from acting as election monitors. The organization argued that the Trump administration’s plan would serve to intimidate and threaten voters.
The Trump administration, meanwhile, has been taking aggressive measures—such as requesting voter registration records from the states—arguing that stringent steps are necessary to bolster public confidence in the fairness of the election.
According to information provided by some officials this month, they are preparing for potential federal interference in the midterm elections.
