Aruna Miller Urges Immigrants to Vote in 2026 US Midterm Elections

Aruna Miller Urges Voter Participation in Midterm Elections

Maryland Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller has urged eligible Americans, particularly members of immigrant communities, to exercise their right to vote in the 2026 US midterm elections, describing the polls as an opportunity to hold the Trump-Vance administration accountable and elect representatives who can protect their interests. Speaking to ANI on Election Day, Miller said voters were increasingly anxious over developments at the national level, including federal job losses, rising fuel prices, tariffs and immigration policies. However, she said the significant turnout at polling stations reflected people’s hope that their participation could bring political change.

“People are feeling really anxious about the many things that are happening at the national level, but here’s what I’m hopeful for. I am out here at the polls and early voting, we’ve had the biggest turnout of any gubernatorial election in the state of Maryland. And here at the polls, there’s lots of lines here, so that tells me people are very hopeful,” Miller said.

Economic Concerns and Federal Policy Impact

She attributed the growing anxiety among voters to policies introduced by US President Donald Trump’s administration, particularly the reported loss of 31,000 federal jobs in Maryland, which she said had affected household incomes and economic activity. “The anxiety is coming from many of the policies that are coming from the Trump administration, starting with 31,000 job losses, federal job losses here in the state of Maryland. So what that means is that’s less paychecks for families who cannot contribute to the economy like the way they were used to before,” she said.

Miller also criticised the administration’s tariff policy, arguing that the additional costs would ultimately be borne by American consumers rather than foreign countries. “A tariff is not a tax or something that another country pays. It’s a tax that the consumers here pay, because ultimately, all those tariffs are going to be passed down to the consumer. So that means all the products we buy are much more expensive,” she said.

She further expressed concern over rising fuel prices, linking the increase to the ongoing conflict and its impact on household affordability. “We’re in a war of choice, that is going to raise the price every time you go to the gas station. Gas was less than USD 3 a gallon before, now it’s close to USD 5 a gallon. So all this adds up to the prices and the affordability and why people are feeling anxious,” Miller added.

Immigration Policies and Community Support

The Maryland Lieutenant Governor also expressed concern over the impact of federal immigration policies on immigrant communities, international students and skilled foreign workers, including those dependent on H-1B visas. She said immigration enforcement measures and the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had contributed to fear among immigrant communities. “I think they’re also concerned because you see what the immigration policies that the federal administration is doing right now, when it comes to H-1B visas or even our international students, all of them are being impacted by this. And furthermore, just the attacks on immigrant communities alone with ICE agents. So there’s a lot of fear here,” Miller said.

Urging voters not to remain silent, she said the midterm elections offered an opportunity to elect members of Congress who could challenge federal policies and represent their concerns. “This is our opportunity to come out and vote, vote for a Congress and vote for a Senate that’ll be the firewall against Donald Trump, and it’s also our opportunity to hold the Trump-Vance administration accountable for the things that are happening,” she said.

Miller further urged immigrant communities to participate in the elections, saying the federal administration was temporary and voters had the power to influence the country’s political direction through the ballot. She also highlighted measures taken by the Maryland government to protect immigrant communities, including its decision to ban agreements under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows local law enforcement agencies to perform certain immigration enforcement functions in coordination with federal authorities. “We work with our partners in the Maryland General Assembly to make sure that we ban 287(g). So our local law enforcement do not have to do the work of federal ICE agents, right? That’s not what our job is. Our job is to protect our local communities,” Miller said. She added that Maryland had established an Office of Immigrant Affairs to help immigrant communities navigate government services and access relevant resources.

Governance and Future Outlook

Highlighting the state administration’s approach towards social welfare, Miller said Governor Wes Moore and she had followed a philosophy of leaving no one behind, with a focus on underserved communities. She cited the passage of the Enough Act to address child poverty, efforts to tackle opioid overdoses and initiatives to reduce crime across Maryland as some of the administration’s achievements. Miller said the state would continue focusing on economic diversification, affordable energy and housing if voters gave the Moore administration another four years.

On political representation, she said the administration had also focused on ensuring diversity in leadership, noting that women and people of colour accounted for significant proportions of the state cabinet. “Governor Moore and I know how important this community plays to our state and 50 per cent of our cabinet secretaries are women and 50 per cent are people of colour. Because we want to make sure that our leadership reflects the state that we serve,” she said.

Expressing optimism about the electoral outcome, Miller said she expected Democrats to make gains in both chambers of Congress and called for unity within the party to challenge the administration’s policies. “I’m confident that we will be able to gain seats in the US Senate as well as United States House of Representatives,” she said.

Call to Action for New Citizens

Miller also made a direct appeal to immigrant communities, particularly those who had acquired American citizenship, to understand the responsibilities that came with their citizenship and participate in the electoral process. “Many of you have come here as immigrant. You’ve crossed oceans to come here. You have the benefit of being an American citizen. That comes with responsibility. That means you need to come out and vote,” she said.

She acknowledged that navigating ballots with multiple candidates and questions could be confusing but urged voters to seek assistance rather than stay away from polling stations. “If you leave your voice out of the process, and the voice is through vote, then you can’t complain about what you’re seeing every day. This is your opportunity to fight back and to push back, and to take responsibility of being an American,” Miller added.

Earlier, voters began arriving at polling stations in Gaithersburg, Maryland, expressing hopes for political change and raising concerns over rising taxes and the country’s future. Voter Heather Mullican said she was excited about the elections and hoped they would bring significant changes, while another voter, Gilbert Bolton, who said he had been voting for 42 years, flagged rising taxes in Maryland. Meanwhile, Gawlinski, a teacher, described the midterm elections as crucial for the country’s future and urged Americans to participate, highlighting the importance of down-ballot contests, particularly school board elections.

The 2026 US midterm elections are being held halfway through President Trump’s four-year term. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats are being contested nationally. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)