A coalition of civil rights organizations, led by the NAACP, filed a lawsuit against officials in the Trump administration on Friday, aiming to block efforts that could lead to the deployment of federal law enforcement officers at polling stations during the upcoming U.S. midterm elections. The lawsuit argues that the administration's threats to use law enforcement and increase oversight of voter rolls violate the Voting Rights Act, which bans voter intimidation. The plaintiffs claim these actions have caused fear among voters, especially Black, Latino, and Asian communities, naturalized citizens, and people in mixed-status families, potentially discouraging them from voting or assisting others in doing so. The complaint references examples of alleged voter intimidation, such as former President Donald Trump's public comments exaggerating claims about noncitizen voting, immigration enforcement actions in communities of color, and Trump's push to create a national voter eligibility list. This lawsuit is part of a growing effort to prevent the Trump administration from increasing its influence over U.S. elections, especially as the country prepares for a highly contested midterm election in November. The Guardian has asked for comments from the White House, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, and the FBI. Federal law prohibits placing armed federal officers or members of the military at polling locations during elections. So far, the administration has not deployed any armed personnel or military members to such sites. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that ICE is not planning any operations targeting polling locations. Instead, it is focusing on “intelligence-driven targeted enforcement” and responding only to public safety threats at polling places. However, mixed messages from top administration officials have raised concerns among election integrity advocates. In May, former President Trump did not rule out sending the National Guard or ICE officers to polling locations. Kash Patel, the FBI director, told lawmakers this week that the FBI “will not shy away” from efforts to ensure elections are safe and honest. He said agents would go to polling locations if there was a reason to do so, such as a violation, but otherwise would remain in field offices. Earlier this month, Markwayne Mullin, the homeland security secretary, stated that ICE would not patrol polling locations but could be present if there was a threat or if they were serving a warrant to someone. Kristen Clarke, general counsel at the NAACP, said after the lawsuit was filed that “our elections are safe and transparent, which has been the hallmark of our democracy,” and that making voting a high-stakes encounter with the militarized forces of the current administration is “disenfranchisement, period.” This lawsuit is at least the second of its kind, following a similar legal challenge filed last week by a coalition led by the League of United Latin American Citizens, which also sought to prevent the deployment of ICE officers to polling locations.