The Trump administration has repeatedly threatened to deploy ICE agents to polling sites in November. The president has refused to rule it out. His Secretary of Homeland Security refused to rule it out at his confirmation hearing. His acting Attorney General endorsed the idea at a national conference. His White House press secretary wouldn't deny it either.

Legal scholars are clear: sending ICE to polling sites would be illegal. The Federal Voting Rights Act prohibits voter intimidation. New York State controls its own elections — the federal government cannot take them over. And New York has already passed new laws requiring federal agents to have a judicial warrant before making civil arrests at poll sites.

But legality has not stopped this administration before. And the threat alone is the point.

New York has 2.7 million naturalized citizen voters — 19% of the state's entire electorate. These are American citizens with every legal right to vote. They have already faced this administration's deportation raids, avoided schools, hospitals, and public spaces out of fear. If the threat of ICE at the polls causes even a fraction of them to stay home in November, the damage to democracy is done — no arrest required.

This is voter suppression. It is intimidation by press conference. And it must be called out loudly and clearly before November arrives.

We're calling on New York Governor Kathy Hochul, the New York State Legislature, and local law enforcement to make an unambiguous public commitment: ICE will not be permitted to intimidate voters at New York polling sites, and any attempt to do so will be met with the full force of state law.