WASHINGTON — Nine civil rights, labor and advocacy organizations filed a federal lawsuit Friday challenging the threatened presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal law enforcement near polling locations, arguing that such actions could intimidate voters of color and immigrant communities and discourage participation in the upcoming midterm elections, according to a joint press release from the coalition.
According to the coalition’s press release, the plaintiffs include the NAACP, Mi Familia en Acción, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, National Urban League, Minnesota 8, Service Employees International Union, American Federation of Teachers, International Union of Painters and United Food and Commercial Workers International.
The coalition states the lawsuit challenges federal actions and statements that plaintiffs argue have placed voters of color in “reasonable fear” of federal interference when attempting to vote, potentially discouraging participation in the 2026 midterm elections.
“When the federal government puts fear between people and the ballot box, that is voter intimidation—plain and simple,” Bethany Li, executive director of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said in the coalition’s press release.
Li added, “In 2026, voters should not have to choose between their safety and their right to vote,” according to the same press release.
According to the coalition’s statement, Black, Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, along with immigrant, naturalized citizen and mixed-status families, could fear “questioning, arrest, detention, surveillance or use of force” while voting, registering voters or serving as election officials.
“All American voters have the sacred right to have a voice in our democracy, and should be able to exercise that right freely and without fear,” Janai Nelson, president and director-counsel of the Legal Defense Fund, said.
According to the coalition, the alleged harms violate Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits intimidation, threats and coercion against people voting or attempting to vote and those helping others exercise that right.
“Communities of color and immigrant communities have the right to vote, organize and participate in our democracy without federal government intimidation,” Thu Nguyen, executive director of OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, said.
Nguyen added that communities “should not have to fear that participating in our democracy could lead to baseless investigations, intimidation, or violence,” according to the coalition’s statement.
The press release also highlights concerns about how a threatened federal law enforcement presence could affect Latino and immigrant voters.
“The presence of federal law enforcement at or near polling places risks creating fear and confusion, particularly in Latino and immigrant communities,” Hector Sanchez Barba, president and CEO of Mi Familia en Acción, said.
According to the statement, organizations representing Black voters have also raised concerns about the country’s history of intimidation and unequal access to the ballot.
“Voter intimidation is illegal, whether it comes from a mob outside the polling place or from the federal government itself,” Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, stated.
Morial argued that threatening to station ICE or other federal law enforcement near voting locations is an attempt to “sow fear, suppress participation and silence communities,” according to the coalition’s statement.
The lawsuit follows repeated statements from federal officials about potentially deploying federal law enforcement near polling locations during the 2026 midterm elections.
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten similarly argued in the coalition’s statement that voters should be able to exercise their rights without “running the gauntlet of an armed, masked militia.”
“Our goal in this lawsuit is to ensure all those eligible to vote, particularly those covered by our Civil Rights laws, can access the ballot box free from coercion and interference,” Weingarten said.
According to the coalition’s statement, the lawsuit asks the court to prohibit the federal government’s threatened use of law enforcement at or around polling places, with plaintiffs arguing such a presence could deter eligible voters from participating.
“We’re bringing this lawsuit so that voters are protected against intimidation and can have their voices heard,” Jasleen Singh, senior counsel and manager in the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, concluded.
To comment please go to one of these social media platforms:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavisVanguard
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peoples-vanguard-of-davis-inc/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davisvanguard/
X: https://x.com/davisvanguard
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/vanguardnewsgroup.bsky.social
Subscribe to the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
