DHS official Honey tells state election officials "There will be no ICE presence at polling locations for this election"
Heather HoneyDeputy Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Election Integrity
In a virtual meeting with state election officials, DHS deputy assistant secretary Heather Honey answered a question from California Secretary of State Shirley Weber by calling any suggestion that ICE will be at polling places "simply disinformation" and saying, "There will be no ICE presence at polling locations for this election". Votebeat reported the remarks from five people who listened to the call.
“Any suggestion that ICE is going to be present at polling places is simply disinformation … There will be no ICE presence at polling locations for this election.”
Official statement
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should ICE and other armed federal agents be allowed at or near polling places in the 2026 election?
Since February 2026, federal officials have given differing answers about whether ICE and other armed federal agents could be at or near polling places during the November 3 election. On September 1, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said ICE would be at a polling place only if there is a threat to it or agents are serving a warrant, and DHS told Politico that ICE is not planning operations targeting polling locations but that arrests could result if an active public safety threat endangered one. On September 10, 18 and 23, 2026, LULAC and other groups, a coalition including the NAACP, and Democratic leaders and party committees sued separately in federal court in Washington. They allege that the administration's statements and actions violate 18 U.S.C. 592, Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act, or both. As of September 25, the court dockets show no motion for a preliminary injunction and no answer or motion to dismiss from the federal defendants, and no court has ruled.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Release announcing a letter from nine secretaries of state to then-nominee Markwayne Mullin. It lists the signatories, quotes Griswold, and quotes remarks by DHS official Heather Honey on Feb. 25 and then-Secretary Kristi Noem on March 3.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Votebeat's report, citing five people who listened to the call, of remarks by DHS deputy assistant secretary Heather Honey to state election officials in a virtual meeting organized by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. DHS did not immediately respond to Votebeat's request for comment. The words are the participants' account; we did not locate a recording or transcript.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The virtual meeting between federal agencies and state election officials was organized by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
After the quotation
Colorado's Secretary of State quoted Honey in a March 9 news release, in a slightly shorter form, and DHS did not immediately respond to Votebeat's request for comment.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The fixed reference point is the administration's stated or threatened use of ICE at or near polling places. Honey said that any suggestion of an ICE presence at polling places is disinformation and that there will be none, which denies the alleged plan. She attached no condition, so mixed or conditional does not fit.
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- DHS official Honey tells state election officials "There will be no ICE presence at polling locations for this election"
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The Dispute Index. "DHS official Honey tells state election officials "There will be no ICE presence at polling locations for this election"". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2686-in-a-virtual-meeting-with-state-election-officials