Woman says officers confronted her over social media post critical of ICE

Key Points:

• During New York’s primaries, poll worker Paigelynne Gonyea was confronted by two federal officers at a Syracuse polling place over a social media post criticizing ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis.
• The officers gave Gonyea a written notice alleging she violated federal laws by publicly posting personal information about a federal officer, which Homeland Security described as "doxxing," a federal crime that endangers law enforcement officers.
• Gonyea refused to sign the warning letter and stated she intends to defend her First Amendment rights, while another poll worker recorded the encounter, describing it as a scare tactic though it did not disrupt voting.
• The New York Attorney General’s Office is reviewing the incident, and local election officials confirmed voting was not affected; meanwhile, advocates and a local congressman criticized the federal officers’ actions as potentially intimidating and an overreach targeting protected speech.
• DHS agents initially contacted Gonyea by phone to discuss the post, assuring her she was not in trouble, but the incident has raised concerns about federal monitoring of social media and the chilling effect on free expression.