The ICE Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) has shifted from internal oversight to investigating private citizens for online speech. Court filings show OPR opened 131 cases of alleged “doxing and threats” against ICE employees between January 2025 and March 2026, and the office has filed more than 100 similar investigations nationwide.
One high‑profile incident involved Syracuse poll worker Paigelynn Gonyea, who was asked to sign a warning notice after a January Instagram post that ICE claimed threatened an agent. Gonyea refused, saying a signature would admit guilt. OPR’s mandate traditionally covers detention‑facility inspections and employee misconduct, but recent documents reveal it is also issuing administrative subpoenas to tech companies to unmask anonymous critics—subpoenas that were later withdrawn after legal challenges.
Civil‑rights lawyers warn the moves risk chilling First Amendment speech, especially as ICE expands its definition of doxing to include photographing agents on duty. A memo from acting ICE director Todd Lyons pledges new investments to counter “emerging threats,” yet OPR’s inspection reports have fallen sharply. Gonyea says she will fight the agency in court, framing the dispute as a broader test of free‑speech protections.
