They Trained to Protect Immigrants From ICE. Now They’re Prepping to Defend the Midterm Elections.

ICE watchers who once observed federal agents shooting people in the streets and resisted ICE's presence in their cities are now turning their skills to protect the upcoming midterm elections from potential interference. These volunteers, who initially sought guidance on how to purchase whistles, are now part of the "ICE Watch" movement, trained and committed to defending their neighbors' voting rights.

Zach Mueller, the founder of anti-authoritarian group States at the Core, explains that these ICE-watchers-turned-poll-watchers now plan to patrol local polling places to safeguard their communities' right to vote.

Despite a recent victory when the Supreme Court blocked a Trump administration rule aimed at hindering ballot distribution, the fight for election integrity continues. The threat of federal agents intimidating voters remains a concern, as evidenced by recent reports of federal agents intimidating legal observers at their homes. The Department of Homeland Security Secretary and President Donald Trump have both hinted at the possibility of federal agents and the National Guard being present at polling places.

Organizations like Indivisible and the No Kings protests have launched training programs to equip citizens with the knowledge and skills needed to counter election sabotage. These trainings cover various scenarios, including the presence of federal immigration agents at polls and other forms of interference. Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, emphasizes that the success of these efforts depends on the presence of a sufficient number of well-prepared individuals ready to push back against any attempts to undermine the electoral process.

According to Levin, the only thing that has changed in the past two years is the mobilization of ordinary people who refuse to accept the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. He highlights the importance of ordinary people organizing, reaching out, and forming communities to resist such threats. Leveraging this momentum, organizations like the Save America Movement are deploying "liberty vans" staffed with organizers trained to document and de-escalate potential violence at polls.

The NAACP has long been aware of the threat posed by voter intimidation, with recent examples including bomb threats targeting polling places, particularly in Black precincts across Georgia and other battleground states. The organization remains committed to defending democracy and ensuring access to the ballot box, drawing on their 117-year history of advocacy.

As these organizations prepare for the upcoming midterm elections, they recognize that the landscape has changed with the emergence of ICE as a new factor in the fight for election integrity. Mary Corcoran, executive director of the Save America Movement, plans to deploy similar strategies used during the Los Angeles protests to other battleground states, targeting precincts with large minority and immigrant populations.

By doing so, they aim to ensure that voters feel safer and more empowered to participate in the democratic process.