IUPAT general president Jimmy Williams Jr. on deploying federal agents to polling sites
Jimmy Williams Jr.General President of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, a plaintiff in the lawsuit
IUPAT General President Jimmy Williams Jr. said in the Legal Defense Fund's September 18 announcement of the lawsuit, "This is election interference pure and simple." He said deploying federal agents to polling sites has no place in the country and called it authoritarian fearmongering and a blatant attempt to influence elections. He said polling sites should not look like armed camps and that citizens have the right to take part in democracy without masked federal agents trying to deter them.
“This is election interference pure and simple We are a democratic union and have an obligation to stand up for democratic principles whenever they are attacked. Deploying federal agents to polling sites has no place in this country, it is authoritarian fearmongering and a blatant attempt to influence our elections. Our polling sites shouldn’t look like armed camps. American citizens have the right to engage in our democracy without having masked federal agents trying to deter them”
Official statement
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
Announcement by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, co-counsel for the plaintiffs, of the suit by nine organizations. It lists the plaintiffs and their counsel and quotes lawyers and plaintiff leaders, including NAACP General Counsel Kristen Clarke.
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Nine organizations, including the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades and the NAACP, filed a federal lawsuit on September 18, 2026. The plaintiffs allege that the administration's statements and actions violate Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits intimidation, threats and coercion of people for voting or attempting to vote.
After the quotation
The release describes the plaintiffs as nine organizations representing immigrants, communities of color and workers.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case records responses to the administration's stated or threatened use of ICE and other armed federal agents at or near polling places. Williams said deploying federal agents to polling sites has no place in the country and called it authoritarian fearmongering, and said polling sites should not look like armed camps. That expressly rejects the practice, so we labeled it Condemned.
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- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
More from this case
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Letitia James says armed federal agents are not allowed at New York polls
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Trueblood says uniformed federal observers can intimidate voters
“You standing there in your FBI vest is intimidating to voters, and so we’re not going to allow that,”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "IUPAT general president Jimmy Williams Jr. on deploying federal agents to polling sites". First published: 2026-09-29. Last updated: 2026-09-29. https://disputeindex.com/events/3341-iupat-general-president-jimmy-williams-jr-said-in