Former WA Gov Jay Inslee slammed for demanding Congress ban ICE from polling places

Former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee drew sharp backlash online Wednesday after urging Senate Democrats to add language to an upcoming spending bill that would prohibit Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from congregating near polling sites on Election Day.

Inslee described the restriction as a “must have,” calling it the “last chance” to prevent what he characterized as a potential voter-suppression tactic. “In the midst of ICE horror, the Senate needs to prohibit Trump from using ICE as a voter suppression tool,” he said, adding that Senate Democrats should “put into the appropriations bill a prohibition on ICE agents being near polling places,” according to comments circulated by critics.

Inslee’s remarks quickly sparked a wave of criticism from conservative commentators who argued that Inslee’s proposal contradicts Democrats who have long denied that illegal immigrants are voting in elections. Federalist editor Sean Davis responded, “Wait. Why would illegal immigrants be hanging around polling places?”

Online pundits claimed Inslee’s comments undercut Democratic messaging that noncitizen voting is rare and that election-fraud narratives are overblown.

Inslee’s call comes as Virginia lawmakers weigh a proposal that would create a buffer zone for immigration enforcement near election sites. HB1442, introduced in the 2026 Virginia session, would prohibit anyone from performing acts “for the purpose or in furtherance of enforcement of federal immigration laws” within 40 feet of a building used as a polling place, as well as certain election-administration locations, such as recount sites.

The measure has drawn similar criticism from the right, including claims that such a restriction is designed to protect noncitizens.

Inslee’s demand lands amid heightened national debate over ICE operations and oversight, as Congress debates Department of Homeland Security funding and new proposed limits on immigration enforcement following multiple high-profile incidents involving federal agents in Minneapolis.