By Jasper Ward
WASHINGTON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Wednesday it was not planning immigration operations targeting polling locations during this year's midterm election, after an official made similar comments to state election officials earlier in the day.
The department, which has virtual oversight for immigration, joined the federal Election Assistance Commission and other agencies for a virtual briefing on Wednesday with state election officials.
During that call, Heather Honey, a deputy assistant secretary for election integrity at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, told state officials, "Any suggestion that ICE will be present at any polling location is simply not true," according to Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said during a briefing it would be unconstitutional for the Trump administration to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the polls.
The comment was in response to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber’s question about whether or not states would be alerted to immigration operations at polling sites, her office said.
A Homeland Security official told Reuters it is possible that ICE would have to appear at a polling location "if an active public safety threat endangered" that location. The official said an arrest would have to be carried out as a result of targeted enforcement action.
The U.S. will hold its midterm elections for gubernatorial, congressional and other offices on Nov. 3. Primary races start next month to determine which candidates will be their parties' standard bearers.
The election will be held as President Donald Trump embarks on an aggressive immigration campaign. That campaign, which has been decried by immigrant activists and Democrats, has resulted in crackdowns led by masked federal immigration agents.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward in Washington; Additional reporting in Peter Eisler; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Stephen Coates)
