❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former Washington Governor Jay Inslee (D) called for a ban on ICE agents near polling places in the upcoming spending bill, sparking criticism online.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Jay Inslee, Senate Democrats, and conservative critics.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The statement was made on January 28, with the issue tied to national election policies and legislation.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Hmmm. Interesting that you think ICE would suppress voting.” – Wade Miller, Center for Renewing America.
🎯IMPACT: Inslee’s remarks have reignited debates over election integrity, with non-citizens technically being banned from voting, but few safeguards in place to detect them doing so.
Former Washington Governor Jay Inslee (D) ignited backlash this week after urging Congress to block U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from operating near polling places, calling the proposal a “must have” and warning it could be the “last chance to do this” as lawmakers negotiate a federal spending bill.
“In the midst of ICE horror, the Senate needs to prohibit Trump from using ICE as a voter suppression tool,” Inslee said, pressing Senate Democrats to include language barring ICE agents from being near polling locations on Election Day.
His remarks quickly drew criticism from conservative commentators, who argued that the proposal implicitly suggests that, contrary to longstanding Democrat claims that elections are safe and secure, illegal immigrants are voting in elections. Wade Miller, an advisor at the Center for Renewing America, remarked, “Hmmm. Interesting that you think ICE would suppress voting.”
The dispute comes amid heightened national debate over illegal immigration and election integrity. Congressional Republicans are advancing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. Supporters say the bill is necessary to prevent noncitizens from voting, while Democrats dubiously argue that it would create barriers for eligible voters.
Peer-reviewed academic research suggests non-citizens do vote illegally in U.S. elections, usually for Democrats, in sufficient numbers to change outcomes, and “likely gave Senate Democrats the pivotal 60th vote needed to overcome filibusters in order to pass health care reform and other Obama administration priorities in the 111th Congress.”
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