Two U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents entered a polling site in Syracuse, New York, during the June 2026 primary election to confront poll worker Paigelynne Gonyea about a social media post.

The agents presented her with a form letter warning that threatening federal officials is a crime, referencing an Instagram account they claimed violated federal law.Gonyea, who was on duty at the Central Library polling location, invited the agents inside due to safety concerns about meeting them alone.

She believes the visit stemmed from a January post in which she publicly named ICE agent Jonathan Ross, identified in media reports as the officer involved in the fatal shooting of Minnesota mother Renee Good during protests related to immigration enforcement.

In the post, Gonyea expressed hope that Ross would be indicted, a statement she maintains does not constitute doxxing or a threat, as Ross's identity had already been widely reported in news outlets.

Election officials, including Commissioner Dustin Czarny, responded quickly, noting that state law generally prohibits law enforcement from entering polling places except in emergencies.Czarny emphasized there was no such emergency here.

Republican Commissioner Kevin Ryan confirmed the incident with Homeland Security contacts, though accounts differ slightly on whether Gonyea fully invited the agents.

Gonyea has refused to delete the post and has contacted her congressional representative, the mayor, the state attorney general, and the New York Civil Liberties Union.She described the encounter as reminiscent of '1984' and criticized the agents for entering the polling site.One agent declined to comment.

The incident has raised concerns about potential voter intimidation and the boundaries of federal authority at election sites amid heightened immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.