Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has aligned with 33 fellow Senate Democrats in formally warning Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to stop any actions by his department that could interfere with the administration of elections or undermine public confidence in the midterms.
Led by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, the lawmakers sent a letter to Mullin expressing alarm over what they describe as a pattern of behavior at DHS that threatens both congressional and state authority over elections and defies federal court orders.
The letter responds directly to Mullin’s recent suggestion that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents could be dispatched to polling locations to address “specific threats.” Mullin later clarified that ICE officers would only be sent if a polling place faced a threat or to execute an active warrant, but Democrats say the remarks and subsequent lack of detail have sown confusion and fear.
“We write to warn you against continued activities at the Department of Homeland Security that seek to undermine the constitutional authority of both Congress and states to administer elections and defy the directions of federal courts,” the senators wrote.
The Democrats are also pressing Mullin to substantiate his claim from July that 250,000 noncitizens were registered to vote in four states. They point out that Mullin initially said 16,000 noncitizens had illegally registered in Nevada, a figure DHS later revised down to 185. The senators argue that such “unsubstantiated allegations of noncitizen voter fraud” appear to be a “calculated” effort to erode trust in elections and could wrongly disenfranchise eligible voters.
“We are deeply troubled by the actions that you, DHS, and the Trump administration have taken,” they wrote. “As such, we demand that you immediately cease the aforementioned activities and provide us with all information underpinning the allegation made in your July 17, 2026, letter regarding non-citizens registered to vote.”
Fetterman’s participation in the letter is notable given his reputation as a centrist and the persistent speculation about his political future. His office said the Pennsylvania Democrat has been “clear” that U.S. elections are secure, fair and accurate. He has previously joined Democratic colleagues in opposing executive overreach on voting rules, including an April 20 letter urging the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors and Postmaster General not to implement an executive order creating a national citizenship list for voting eligibility and restricting mail-in ballots. He also signed a Sept. 4 letter protesting the Postal Service’s finalized rule to carry out Trump’s vote-by-mail executive order, calling it an “utter disregard for the rule of law.”
As Democrats grow increasingly optimistic about their chances of retaking the Senate majority in November, Fetterman has kept his options open. At the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Saturday, he declined to detail his future plans, saying, “Let’s revisit after the midterm.” But he signaled he intends to remain in the Democratic caucus, noting, “Let’s see what happens if I happen to be 51,” a reference to the possibility of a Democratic majority. He added, “I have no path as a Republican. There are no Republicans with a 90-percent Democratic vote line. There are no pro-choice, there’s no pro-gay community, that does not exist in the Republican Party.”
The letter reflects broader Democratic concerns about election integrity ahead of the midterms, as the party battles what it calls a coordinated effort to restrict voting access and spread misinformation. With control of Congress at stake, the senators are demanding accountability from DHS and warning that any interference with voting could have serious consequences.
