by Staff Report CTNewsJunkie
STAMFORD, CT — A social media post has resulted in a Connecticut state representative finding himself at the center of a political firestorm involving the Justice Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the hundreds of social media commenters.
“People have called me the N-word online, they’ve called my wife a b**** and it just keeps getting worse,” said state Rep. Corey Paris, D-Stamford. He said multiple posts have called for his arrest and some have gone as far as to target his grandparents.
Paris, who has been in office since 2021, on Friday posted an Instagram story saying he had been informed of multiple reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in the district he represents. He went on to urge residents “to remain vigilant, stay aware of your surroundings, and, above all, prioritize your safety.”
The story is no longer visible online as Instagram stories disappear after 24 hours.
He also encouraged residents to “look out for one another” and seek out legal and community resources if needed.
The post was soon shared by the X (formerly Twitter) page “Libs of TikTok” which falsely stated he was “doxxing” ICE’s live location and demanded his arrest. Doxxing is the sharing of people’s personal information without their consent, often with malicious intent.
The backlash stepped up when ICE shared the post on the department’s official X page, and also tagged the U.S. Justice Department.
Paris on Sunday said he had been in contact with law enforcement officials, including Attorney General William Tong’s office. An email requesting comment from Tong’s office was not immediately returned Sunday.
Paris said his own situation was mild compared to the fear that undocumented people in the country live with every day, and said he does not regret making the original post.