U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during a press briefing on election security and support for the SAVE Act at a Homeland Security Investigations Field Office in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. February 13, 2026. REUTERS/Rebecca Noble
A CNN Republican skewered the Homeland Security Secretary on Monday over her comments about sending immigration forces to polling centers during the midterm election.
Over the weekend, Kristi Noem said she plans to dispatch Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to voting centers across the country to "ensure we have the right people voting." Her comments sparked backlash from political analysts and observers who said it seemed like she was advocating for using ICE to suppress votes from people who disagree with President Donald Trump's policies.
Shermichael Singleton, a CNN political analyst, discussed Noem's recent comments on "The Lead" on Monday.
"Obviously, I'm a Republican, and I want voters to vote for Republican leaders," Singleton said. "... And I think we would all agree that we want our election process to be secure. But I don't think that's the role of the secretary's agency, number one. Number two, if we are going to put a spotlight on election integrity ... I don't think it's partisan, and I think we need to do a lot more to make sure that Republicans and Democrats pass the type of sweeping legislation to ensure that every single American has their vote counted without the interference from foreign actors."
Noem's comments occurred during a press conference about the SAVE Act, a mostly Republican-backed bill that would implement sweeping changes to the way U.S. elections are conducted, such as requiring a passport to register to vote. Many election experts have spoken out about the bill, saying it could disenfranchise millions of voters.