ICE Expands Immigration Enforcement as Midterm Election Nears

Federal immigration enforcement has become a prominent issue ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections, as the Trump administration increases scrutiny of suspected voter fraud and communities across California report immigration arrests. Investigations involving the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), concerns about civil rights, and questions about enforcement priorities have intensified political disputes over immigration policy.

According to The New Yorker, DHS has assigned hundreds of officials to investigate suspected unlawful voting, including possible noncitizen participation. The agency has also sought voter records from states, while federal courts have largely rejected lawsuits seeking comprehensive voter information from 30 states and the District of Columbia.

An internal report issued by Homeland Security Investigations in June identified organizations suspected of encouraging unlawful voter registration. Pennsylvania and New Jersey received particular attention, and DHS reviewed 82 nongovernmental organizations in Pennsylvania alone.

The investigation has raised concerns about the reliability of voter data. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin claimed the department had identified more than 250,000 potential noncitizens registered to vote in California, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, but the administration had not provided evidence supporting that overall figure, according to The New Yorker.

Nevada officials received 185 names from a DHS list of 16,000 potential noncitizen voters by late September. A subsequent state investigation found that everyone on the list was a US citizen, although a DHS spokesperson said the department had manually confirmed approximately 2,000 additional cases.

Olga Rivera Galati, a deputy director at immigrant advocacy organization We Are Casa, described feeling targeted by vehicles she believed were being used by immigration agents outside her workplace in York, Pennsylvania.

Rivera Galati explained how the encounter affected her sense of security as a US citizen.

"I'm a U.S. citizen, but I didn't feel that way that day," Rivera Galati told The New Yorker.

She also described the role her Hispanic identity played in her reaction.

"I thought, I'm Hispanic," Rivera Galati said.

Rivera Galati said she noticed several unmarked sport utility vehicles near her office as the election approached.

"As we got closer to the election, in the summer, is when it picked up," Rivera Galati said.

She described the frequency of the vehicles in the area.

"They're literally everywhere," Rivera Galati said.

The Department of Homeland Security disputed her account when contacted by The New Yorker.

"None of this ever happened," a DHS spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also denied that ICE had the vehicles Rivera Galati described in York.

"ICE doesn't even have any white S.U.V.s in York, Pennsylvania," the spokesperson said.

The internal report described organizations that investigators believed could be involved in improper voter registration.

"May be predatory in nature, particularly those suspected of illegal alien registration and voter encouragement," the report stated.

DHS also defended its investigative practices against concerns about privacy and the use of personal information.

"Commonplace law enforcement," the department's spokesperson said, describing the practices as routine.

Jason Houser, a former senior ICE official, argued that the focus on election investigations could divert resources from other law enforcement priorities.

"Agents should be focussed on dismantling fentanyl-trafficking networks, combating child exploitation, and taking violent criminals off our streets," Houser said.

A former Homeland Security Investigations official criticized the department's leadership and its approach to evidence.

"They're zealots," the former official said.

The former official also questioned whether investigators were willing to consider information that contradicted their suspicions.

"They won't believe anything that doesn't prove their point," the former official said.

The former official identified Stephen Miller, the president's deputy chief of staff, as a central figure directing the initiative.

"It's all directed by Miller," the former official said.

Meanwhile, California has seen renewed attention to immigration arrests, particularly in agricultural communities where enforcement can affect workers, families, and local businesses. A report published by Yahoo on October 26 described concerns in Fresno and Madera counties, where residents reported federal activity near neighborhoods, workplaces, and public locations.

In Kerman, Mayor Maria Pacheco described unusually quiet streets following arrests by federal agents. A Fresno city councilmember also reported declining school attendance as families responded to concerns about immigration enforcement. These observations have not established the total number of affected residents or the full economic consequences.

California lawmakers have requested additional information about federal operations. On October 14, Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff joined Representative Adam Gray in asking Acting ICE Director David Venturella for details about arrests in Mendota that reportedly began October 5. Their letter sought information about the operation's purpose, the number of people detained, due process protections, and measures to limit disruption to families and businesses.

California has also pursued state-level oversight. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of immigration-related legislation on September 29 addressing detention conditions, transparency, civil rights protections, and the use of state resources. One provision establishes a 25 percent tax on certain private detention facilities, with revenue intended to support immigration-related services.

The political debate extends beyond individual enforcement operations. A Slate analysis published October 26 connected immigration rhetoric during the midterm campaign with historical efforts to appeal to voters through tougher criminal justice policies.

The analysis described the earlier political approach as the "tough-on-crime" era and compared it with contemporary "tough-on-immigration" policies. It also noted that Republicans and allied groups spent $53 million on immigration advertisements across 27 states from January through June.

President Donald Trump has invoked the 1988 Willie Horton advertisement in campaign appearances against Democrats, while Republicans have used accusations of being "soft on crime" as a political attack.

According to the Slate analysis, the Department of Homeland Security said ICE hired 12,000 new officers and agents in the previous year. ICE arrests also more than doubled in 15 states and the District of Columbia during 2026, while some sheriffs partnered with the agency through the federal 287(g) Program.

The analysis cited research examining elected district attorneys between 1986 and 2006. Across nearly 40 states, state prison admissions increased by 3 percent during district attorney election years, amounting to an estimated 63,000 additional admissions over the two decades. The study found no corresponding increase in crime or arrest rates during those election years.

Public opinion remains divided over immigration enforcement. The Slate analysis reported that 50 percent of Americans supported deporting all immigrants without permanent legal status in February, while 48 percent opposed the policy. Separately, 62 percent opposed ICE tactics, and approval of the president's handling of immigration had fallen 10 percentage points compared with the previous year.

The 2026 midterm elections will determine control of Congress as federal immigration operations and state-level responses remain contested. The election is scheduled for November 2026, with immigration enforcement, government accountability, and the treatment of immigrant communities among the issues facing voters.