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A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer looks on during an operation in Escondido, Calif., July 8, 2019. (AP) A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer looks on during an operation in Escondido, Calif., July 8, 2019. (AP)

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer looks on during an operation in Escondido, Calif., July 8, 2019. (AP)

Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu
By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu November 6, 2024

ICE told staff not to wear uniform when voting due to longstanding policy, unrelated to noncitizens

If Your Time is short

  • Federal law prohibits Immigration enforcement activity at polling places.

  • A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official said employees were reminded not to wear uniforms and insignia to avoid confusing voters.

  • Noncitizens are already prohibited from voting in federal elections.

A viral and misleading Instagram video claimed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leaders barred employees from wearing uniforms to the polls to avoid alarming noncitizens who were casting ballots.

"Just got word that in Arizona and in Pennsylvania … they have got word from their higher-ups, when they go to vote tomorrow, they are not allowed to wear their uniform or their badges," conservative commentator Ben Bergquam said in a Nov. 5 Instagram video

"And they believe it’s because Kamala Harris and Joe Biden don’t want to intimidate illegal aliens voting," he added. 

Bergquam repeated these claims in an interview that morning with Steve Bannon, a onetime adviser to former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.

The Instagram video was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Threads and Instagram.)

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told PolitiFact the claim was false.

First, noncitizens are not eligible to vote in federal elections. Noncitizens who vote face federal and state penalties including imprisonment and, if they are illegally in the country, deportation.

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Second, federal law prohibits armed and civil law enforcement activity at polling places, except when it is "necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States." This provision prevents immigration enforcement at polling locations. 

Field directors and agents in charge reminded employees not to wear uniforms and other markings while they were voting, citing U.S. code. 

"Like all federal law enforcement officers, the agency’s officers and agents are prohibited by federal statute from taking enforcement actions at polling places," Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson Jeff Carter told PolitiFact.

This is not the first time federal agencies have reminded employees about conduct during elections. In 2020, during Trump’s presidency, the Defense Department reminded military service members about the uniform policy.

"All members of the armed forces, including active-duty members, members of the reserve components not on active duty, and retired members are prohibited from wearing military uniforms at political campaign or election events," a 2020 department reminder said.

Federal law prohibits military service members from interfering in election processes.

Some states, including New York and Maryland, also bar civilians from wearing military-style clothes at polling places.

The statement that ICE officials were told not to wear uniforms at the polls to not intimidate noncitizens voting contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression. It reflects a longstanding law about civil law enforcement activity at polling places. We rate the claim Mostly False.

Our Sources

Instagram post (archived link), Nov. 5, 2024

Email exchange with Jeff Carter, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Nov. 5, 2024

Email exchange Andrew Bates, White House Press Office, Nov. 5, 2024

X post, (archived link), Nov. 5, 2024

U.S. Department of Defense, Service Members, Civilians Bound By DOD Rules During Election Campaigns, Sept. 8, 2020

​​PolitiFact, "A Maryland city has let noncitizens vote in local elections for 30 years. How has it worked so far?," Oct. 21, 2024

​​PolitiFact, Noncitizen voting is already rare in local elections, but 8 states want to ban it, Oct. 31, 2024

New York Attorney General, Attorney General James Issues Guidance for Voters Ahead of November General Election, Oct. 24, 2024

Maryland Attorney General, Guidance On Voter Intimidation, accessed Nov. 5, 2024

GovInfo, Title 18—Crimes And Criminal Procedure, accessed Nov. 5, 2024

Cornell Law School, 18 U.S. Code § 593 - Interference by armed forces, accessed Nov. 5, 2024

Brennan Center, Voters Should Not Be Intimidated, Oct. 6, 2020

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ICE told staff not to wear uniform when voting due to longstanding policy, unrelated to noncitizens

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