David Sheppard, Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124 school board member and Republican candidate for Illinois House of Representatives District 36, said Democratic officials pushing to ban ICE from polling locations are sending a troubling message about who they are really trying to protect.
“I stand firm that no law enforcement agency (local, state, or federal) should even be restricted in any form from enforcing the laws that keep citizens safe,” Sheppard told South Cook News. “Every Democrat here in Chicago and throughout IL is speaking the same language. There are calls for a fair and safe election, but they don’t want Federal officers in site of polling places.”
Several Democrat-led states have been advancing legislation to restrict or ban federal immigration enforcement near polling places, citing concerns about potential federal overreach in elections. Existing federal law already limits armed personnel at voting sites, and the Department of Homeland Security has stated there are no plans to deploy ICE to the polls, according to Stateline.
When questioned before Congress, ICE and Border Patrol leaders replied, “No, sir,” and DHS election integrity official Heather Honey stated, “It is simply not true” that agents would be stationed at the polls.
As the March 17 primary approached, DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek issued a video warning that ICE would not be permitted to interfere with DuPage County elections in any way, stating: “In DuPage County, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will not be allowed to interfere with DuPage County elections in any way.”
She followed with a press release declaring “ICE, go away. Do not even try. You will fail,” dismissing as a myth the notion that non-citizens cast ballots on Election Day.
Kaczmarek also set up a hotline for residents to report ICE sightings and noted the county allows voters to cast ballots at any of its 248 polling locations through its “Vote Anywhere” system.
In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson backed a proposal to create “Democracy Zones” banning immigration enforcement within 100 feet of polling sites. Opponents, including 15th Ward Alderman Ray Lopez, said the was one that “seeks an answer to a problem that doesn’t exist” and raised potential First Amendment concerns.Â
Lopez told Chicago City Wire: “As much as the extreme Democratic Left and Socialists decried President Trump’s election loss conspiracies, they have proven no better. Actually, the Democratic logic is worse as it appears to build on the allegations of non-citizens participating in our American electoral process and needing protection from deportation.”
Social media critics echoed the skepticism, with Libs of TikTok posting on X: “If illegals are not voting, then why would anyone care if ICE is near a polling place?”
When asked about the legal questions surrounding the proposals, Sheppard said he would defer to those with legal expertise.
“At this time, I will leave this answer to the individuals who make a living practicing law,” he said.
Sheppard said voter registration problems in Illinois are well-documented and deserve serious attention.
“Here in Illinois, there have been past issues with voter registration,” he said. “The automatic registration of voters when they obtain a driver’s license system has had documented issues in the past.”
Former GOP committeeman Terry Newsome flagged a registration error in DuPage County that nearly prevented him from voting, after all five members of his household had their last names entered incorrectly in the voter database as “Updatesome” instead of Newsome.
Kaczmarek’s office has drawn criticism beyond her ICE warnings. Former state representative Jeanne Ives called her “completely incompetent,” while election integrity advocate Carol Davis said Kaczmarek is “throwing red meat to the Democrat base because she is in jeopardy of losing her seat as county clerk.”
In 2025, the DuPage County Board censured Kaczmarek’s office over financial mismanagement, including delayed vendor payments, a budget shortfall, and a 40% increase in staff salaries over five years.Â
She is also currently under criminal investigation by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office for allegations including no-bid contracts totaling roughly $229,000 and mismanagement of election-related spending.
Paula Deacon Garcia defeated Kaczmarek in the March 17 Democratic primary, receiving 54,761 votes to Kaczmarek’s 42,670, according to unofficial results with all precincts reporting.Â
Garcia will face Republican Patricia Kladis-Schiappa, who ran unopposed in the GOP primary, in the November general election.
Sheppard said the pattern of statements and errors surrounding elections should be deeply alarming to any official who took an oath to serve the public.
“In my opinion, any statements related to not wanting law enforcement around or registration mix-ups should create sleepless nights for the very elected officials who took an oath to protect their citizens,” he said.
Sheppard, a Republican, is challenging first-term incumbent State Rep. Rick Ryan (D-Evergreen Park) for the Illinois House of Representatives in District 36. He currently serves on the Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124 school board.
