ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility Issues Warning Notice to Poll Worker Over Instagram Post

During the June state primaries, ICE agents arrived at a polling location in Syracuse, New York, and confronted poll worker Paigelynne Gonyee about an Instagram post from January that the agents said “doxed” an ICE officer. The agents presented a warning notice stating that it is unlawful to “threaten to assault, kidnap and/or murder” federal officials or their immediate family members, and that the post should be removed and the behavior discontinued. Gonyee declined to sign, asserting that a signature would constitute an admission of guilt.

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The Office of Professional Responsibility is described on its website as the internal watchdog for ICE, tasked with inspecting detention facilities, investigating employee and contractor misconduct, processing security checks for new applicants, and protecting against external threats through badge-access management and network security. Court filings referenced in the article indicate that OPR is now pursuing civilians for online statements, a function beyond its traditional internal focus.

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The poll worker is Paigelynne Gonyee. The Instagram post credited the Minnesota Star Tribune for identifying ICE agent Jonathan Ross, the officer who shot and killed Renee Good during a federal incursion in Minneapolis earlier that winter, and called for his indictment. The Office of Professional Responsibility issued the warning notice. The incident was first reported by Syracuse.com.

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Court documents cited in the Wired article note that OPR’s pursuit of civilians for online speech is not limited to Gonyee, though the filings do not disclose how many additional cases exist.

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ICE declined to comment when contacted for comment. The OPR website’s description of its duties does not mention civilian investigations, and the warning notice itself was the only document provided to Gonyee.

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Gonyee said the notice was sent by OPR, an office she said is meant for internal investigations, and argued that using it against an American civilian represents an overreach. She refused to sign, fearing the signature would imply guilt for her online expression.

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• “My signature would have been an admission of guilt,” — Paigelynne Gonyee, poll worker

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• “I refused to sign it.” — Paigelynne Gonyee, poll worker

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• “and now they're using their own internal departments on American civilians.” — Paigelynne Gonyee, poll worker

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• “The agents at the poll site asked Gonyea to sign a warning notice that said it was unlawful to “threaten to assault, kidnap and/or murder” federal officials or their immediate family members in an effort to impede that federal official’s work.” — Text of ICE warning notice

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