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Arlington County sues Trump administration to block ICE from polling places
Arlington County is suing the Trump administration less than two weeks before the midterm elections, seeking to block federal agencies from sending armed law enforcement officers to local polling places.
ARLINGTON, Va. - Arlington County has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration to prohibit armed federal law enforcement officers, including agents from ICE and the FBI, from operating at polling places less than two weeks before the 2026 midterm elections.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Virginia's Eastern District by the Arlington County Attorney's Office, Democracy Forward, and the Public Rights Project. It asks a federal judge to strike down related Trump administration policies and prohibit armed federal agents from election sites.
The legal action names the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with their agency leaders.
The filing notes that statements from September, when DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed ICE could conduct operations at polling places, including serving warrants, and FBI Director Kash Patel asserted the agency could send armed agents to polling sites for election-related enforcement.
"Threatening to send armed agents to polling stations is unlawful and contravenes the bedrock values of free and fair elections we hold dear in this country," Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said in a statement. "These statements are a clear attempt to stoke fear and undermine confidence in our elections. The Arlington County Board will do all we can to protect our voters and their right to vote."
Those involved argue the policies constitute voter intimidation, violate federal law, and infringe on state and local constitutional rights to conduct free elections. The threat has forced local election officials, police, and prosecutors to conduct emergency preparedness exercises to handle potential interactions at the polls.
A DHS spokesperson released a statement that says in part, "ICE is not planning operations targeting polling locations. ICE conducts intelligence-driven targeted enforcement, and if an active public safety threat endangered a polling location, they may be arrested as a result of that targeted enforcement action."
While the lawsuit has been assigned a district judge and magistrate judge, a court date for initial appearances has not yet been set.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Arlington County Board, Department of Homeland Security and previous FOX 5 reporting.