Overview
- On a Feb. 25 coordination call with federal agencies, DHS official Heather Honey told secretaries of state that claims of ICE at polling places are disinformation and that no agents will be stationed there.
- In a subsequent statement, DHS said ICE is not planning operations targeting polling locations, while reserving the option for targeted arrests if an active public‑safety threat endangered a site.
- Multiple state election officials said they do not trust the pledge, citing Honey’s ties to 2020 election‑denial efforts, including work linked to the Cyber Ninjas review in Arizona.
- Officials reported that federal agencies on the call declined to publicly affirm that states control election administration, heightening concerns about federal overreach.
- Honey promoted DHS’s SAVE database for voter‑roll vetting, drawing pushback over false positives and data‑retention practices, as worries also reflect recent DOJ/FBI actions and public calls to deploy ICE near polls.