Published by TrenBuzz.com | June 26, 2026 | BREAKING
Key Points at a Glance – Paigelynne Gonyea’s DHS ICE Call
- Paigelynne Gonyea has more than 100,000 followers on TikTok and more than 33,000 on Instagram, where she occasionally posts about politics, including about violence committed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis last winter.
- While working at a polling site at the Central Library in Syracuse on New York primary day, June 23, 2026, Gonyea received a DHS ICE call voicemail from someone identifying himself as Homeland Security Special Agent Dave Brody, saying: “We were just by your apartment.”
- Two ICE agents confronted Gonyea inside the polling place, handed her a notice reading “YOU MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW” and asked her to sign a document claiming her Instagram account may have violated a law prohibiting threats or intimidation against a federal officer.
- It is illegal under federal law for armed federal law enforcement to come inside a polling place, and a recently enacted New York state law also bars immigration agents from entering voting sites.
- A DHS spokesperson claimed Gonyea had committed a federal crime by publishing an ICE officer’s address online, but has so far not offered any evidence to back up that claim.
- Rep. John Mannion sent a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin calling for the department to review the incident and put a stop to any ICE activities that target protected speech.
Paigelynne Gonyea DHS ICE Call: What Triggered the Visit Five Months Later
Gonyea believes the agent was referring to her January 8 Instagram post naming Jonathan Ross as the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis.
“I don’t trust going outside or dealing with ICE agents at all in any capacity,” Gonyea said. Her fellow poll worker, 70-year-old Sheilia Milledge, didn’t want her to go outside either. “There’s too many people being kidnapped by ICE and I can’t run behind her,” Milledge told NPR. “I use a cane.”
Inside the Polling Place: What the Agents Actually Did
Gonyea said the agents had a file about her with details including her name, address, date of birth, height, weight and eye color.
Gonyea returned the missed call and agreed to meet agents inside the polling site. Two officers then arrived and handed her a form letter warning she may be in violation of federal law and requesting she “promptly remove and/or discontinue the aforementioned behavior.”
Gonyea Refused to Delete Her Post and Has Set Up a GoFundMe
Gonyea has since refused to delete her Instagram post or shut down her account, and has set up a GoFundMe page to pay for potential legal expenses.
“The experience is intimidating, and I believe it’s important that election workers are able to do their jobs without feeling pressured or afraid. It’s also important for the protection of freedom of speech and civil liberties,” Gonyea said.
“ICE should not be broadly targeting online speech or actively monitoring social media accounts without cause and without proper judicial protections,” Rep. Mannion’s letter stated.
The local Republican county election commissioner who confirmed the agents were real described the entire incident as “a comedy of errors from beginning to end.” America’s most consequential free speech collision in months happened at a library in Syracuse. And Paigelynne Gonyea did not sign the document.
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Disclaimer: This article is for general informational and news reporting purposes only. All quotes and details are sourced from NPR, Democracy Now, KCLU, KGOU, Fox 59, KPBS, and HPPR as of June 26, 2026. DHS has alleged Gonyea committed a federal crime but has offered no supporting evidence. Gonyea has not been charged with any crime. TrenBuzz.com makes no independent legal assessment. Readers are encouraged to follow credible news sources for the latest updates.