Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) warned Wednesday that President Donald Trump is likely to send armed immigration enforcement agents to polling places during the upcoming elections, describing a scenario in which camouflaged officers carrying automatic weapons could intimidate voters.
Appearing on CNN’s “The Arena,” Pritzker said Trump “still can call out ICE and CBP and send them to, well, wherever he wants for the elections.” He added, “I expect that he may try to do that. They’ll be wearing camouflage uniforms. They’ll be carrying automatic weapons like they did when they invaded our city before.”
The governor’s remarks referenced past deployments of federal agents to Chicago and other cities, which he characterized as an “invasion.” Pritzker noted that his administration successfully challenged Trump in court over the use of National Guard troops in Illinois, with a victory that reached the Supreme Court. However, he acknowledged that the legal landscape is different for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel.
“We can’t prevent him from sending CBP and ICE. And he did that in Chicago. He did that across Illinois. He did that in Minnesota,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker framed the potential deployment as a threat to voting rights, arguing that the presence of armed federal agents near polling places could deter citizens from casting ballots. He said his administration’s job is to “protect people’s right to vote,” including by organizing escorts for voters who may feel threatened.
State Law as a Shield
Pritzker pointed to Illinois law, which prohibits such agents from coming within 100 feet of a polling place. “So we’re going to protect people’s right to vote,” he said, suggesting that state-level measures could mitigate the impact of any federal deployment.
The governor did not provide specific evidence that the Trump administration is planning to send ICE or CBP agents to polling places this election cycle, but he framed it as a likely scenario based on past actions. His comments come amid broader Democratic concerns about federal law enforcement being used for political purposes.
The White House has not yet responded to Pritzker’s remarks. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately return a request for comment.
Critics of Pritzker’s warning have dismissed it as speculative, noting that federal law already prohibits intimidation of voters at the polls and that ICE and CBP agents operate under strict guidelines. Supporters, however, argue that the administration has shown a willingness to push legal boundaries when it comes to immigration enforcement.
Election law experts say that while federal agents have broad authority to operate in public spaces, any attempt to interfere with voting would likely face legal challenges. The 100-foot buffer zone in Illinois is among the strictest in the nation, and courts have generally upheld such measures as reasonable protections for voter access.
Pritzker’s comments underscore the heightened tension between Democratic governors and the Trump administration over federal law enforcement tactics. Similar disputes have arisen in other states, with some governors deploying legal challenges and others issuing executive orders to limit cooperation with ICE.
As the election approaches, Pritzker’s warning may prompt other Democratic leaders to prepare similar safeguards. His suggestion of organizing voter escorts—whether by state agencies or party organizations—signals a proactive approach that could become a model for other states.
“What our job is as governors and in our states is to protect people’s right to vote,” Pritzker said. “That means making sure we’ve got an organization, either a state organization or a party organization that is escorting people into the voting booth so that they know that they can get past these—well, these folks can’t come within 100ft in Illinois of a polling place.”
Whether Trump will indeed deploy such agents remains to be seen, but Pritzker’s comments have already added another layer of controversy to the election security debate.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/09/09/pritzker-trump-likely-to-send-ice-agents-carrying-automatic-weapons-to-polling-places/