18 U.S.C. 592 prohibits any officer of the Army or Navy or other person in the civil, military, or naval service of the United States from ordering, bringing, keeping, or having under their authority or control any troops or armed men at any place where a general or special election is held, unless necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States.

What we found

Supports. The official U.S. Code text of 18 U.S.C. 592 prohibits any officer of the Army or Navy or other person in the civil, military, or naval service from ordering, bringing, keeping, or having under authority or control any troops or armed men at any place where a general or special election is held, unless necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States.[3]

Supports. Snopes quotes the federal statute's language that criminalizes deploying federal troops or armed federal law enforcement to any place where a general or special election is held.[1]

Supports. PolitiFact reports that the federal ban on troops at polling places dates back to the Civil War and that experts say it applies to immigration agents as well.[2]

Context. A 1996 govinfo entry for the same section shows the provision has been part of Title 18 since at least that year, consistent with the current text.[4]

Sources

4 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 2 primary

1. 1Do images show National Guard illegally guarding DC ...snopes.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
2. 2What could stop Trump from sending ICE to polls?politifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
3. 318 U.S.C. § 592: Troops at polls - uscode.house.govuscode.house.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
4. 418 U.S.C. 592 - Troops at polls - Content Detailsgovinfo.gov · primary source · cited for: context

Where this claim was made

Said in 1 published post

• The Lawfare Podcast · Sep 14, 2026“there's a statute, a criminal statute called 18 U.S. 592... whoever being an officer of the Army or Navy or other person in the civil, military, or naval service of the United States, um, orders, brings, keeps, or has under his authority or control any troops or armed men at any place where a general or special election is held, unless such force be necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States, shall be fined or imprisoned”Post →

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