Homeland Security agents confront Syracuse poll worker

Federal immigration agents visited a Syracuse, New York, poll worker at her workplace on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, to confront her about a social media post calling for the indictment of an officer involved in a fatal shooting. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from civil liberties experts and election officials, who argue the action was an improper attempt to intimidate a citizen over protected political speech.

Paigelynne Gonyea was working at the Central Library polling place during New York’s primary election when she received a phone call from two agents from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Professional Responsibility. Concerned for her safety, she invited them inside. The agents, one identified as David Brody, presented her with copies of her driver’s license and printouts of her Instagram posts. They handed her a formal warning notice alleging her account threatened federal agents and directed her to remove the content and discontinue the behavior. Gonyea declined to sign the document.

Gonyea believes the visit was prompted by a post she published in January 2026. In it, she shared a news report identifying ICE agent Jonathan Ross as the officer who...