CT Lawmakers Support State Rep. Paris, Blumenthal To Call For Congressional Inquiry

STAMFORD, CT — Connecticut lawmakers gathered on Wednesday morning inside the Legislative Office Building in Hartford to stand in solidarity with state Rep. Corey Paris (D-145), who has received multiple threats and harassment following a social media post he made about possible ICE activity in Stamford last week.

Paris recently posted on social media that he became aware of reports of ICE activity within his district, and he urged residents "to remain vigilant, stay aware of your surroundings, and, above all, prioritize your safety." He also encouraged residents to inform local advocacy groups about any ICE activity.

"Our community is strongest when we remain informed, united, and committed to protecting the dignity and safety of all who call it home," Paris said in his post.

On Aug. 15, a popular right-wing social media account, Libs of TikTok, which has 4.3 million followers on X, posted a screenshot of Paris' message and tagged the official ICE and Department of Homeland Security accounts.

"Connecticut State Rep. Corey Paris (D) posted on instagram doxxing ICE’s live location and warning illegals to stay 'vigilant.' He’s helping illegals evade arrest and impeding ICE. Charge him," the post said.

"Doxxing" is the act of researching and publicly revealing private or identifying information about an individual or organization online, typically with the intent to cause harm.

The official ICE account then shared the Libs of Tiktok post and tagged the United States Department of Justice.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) was one of several officials to speak at Tuesday's gathering in Hartford, and he announced that he will be calling for a congressional inquiry into the incident.

Blumenthal is the ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which is the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs' chief investigative subcommittee that has the responsibility of studying and investigating the efficiency and economy of operations relating to all branches of the government.

"This kind of action well warrants a congressional inquiry that I will be announcing. The fact that ICE reposted 'charge him' is only one incident among many that have been reported of this agency exceeding its power using unwarranted and excessive force, unidentified and unmarked agents wearing masks, seizing people who may be in this country completely lawfully doing nothing wrong, detaining them.

"We need an official congressional inquiry that will uncover who is responsible and who should be held accountable for this incident, but also for the pattern and practice of potentially violating our laws," Blumenthal said.

Blumenthal said the ICE X account's reposting of "charge him" in reference to Paris is "language of a totalitarian agency out of control - a rogue instrument of law enforcement that has to be contained."

Replies to the X posts about Paris called for him to be arrested, imprisoned and removed from office.

According to the Hartford Courant, Paris received a threatening phone call from someone who said they were "coming for" him and his family. Paris was also called the "n-word."

Blumenthal said Connecticut State Police and Stamford Police are cooperating with the FBI as they investigate threats that Paris has received.

"There should be nothing partisan about our reaction to these incidents," Blumenthal said. "They are un-American, they are unacceptable and intolerable in the Constitution State, or any other state in America."

Lt. Gov Susan Bysiewicz said Paris did something that every elected official strives to do: share necessary information with constituents.

Bysiewicz called the incident "particularly disturbing" in light of the political violence seen in Minnesota two months ago when former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot at their Brooklyn Park, Minn., home. State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also wounded in a related attack.

"Sadly, our social media has just emboldened extremists and given them an opportunity to spew hate and division with anonymity. This rhetoric is very dangerous and there are real-life consequences," Bysiewicz said.

Several other elected officials spoke Tuesday, including state Rep. Eleni Kavros DeGraw (D-17).

Kavros DeGraw called Paris "one of the most well-respected members of either chamber."

"He is an empathetic leader, he embodies integrity, he is a leader who fights for his constituents, who fights for the people who live in his district. What he did when he posted that post about the fact that ICE was in Stamford, he was acknowledging the fact that people are terrified of being disappeared from our streets as they have been across the country each and every day since this administration took office," she said.

Kavros DeGraw said other colleagues have made stronger statements against ICE recently.

"But do not forget that [Corey Paris] serves as a Black man in this country, and that is a different way to serve than many of us who stand here today, including myself. They very specifically in that tweet put a photo of him next to what he said," she said.

"When you come for one of us, you come for all of us - every single person that's standing up here. If you think we aren't prepared, and if you think we don't have a plan, you are sorely mistaken," Kavros DeGraw added.

"So the federal government can choose to do what they want to do, me and mine, we will be standing for the people of Connecticut regardless of their immigration status, regardless of their race, their religion, their creed, because that is what we've been elected to do, and we will do it."

State Sen. Bob Duff (D-25) , the Senate Majority Leader, encouraged residents to stand in solidarity with Paris.

"We need to enlist all of our residents here in the state of Connecticut, because he's today. Who's tomorrow? Who's the next person? Who's the next person who is not elected who can't command the press, who can't command a group of people like this behind me in support?" Duff said.

"This is a moment for us in this nation, this is a moment for us to stand up for what we believe in, this is a moment for us to speak up and speak out. Courage begets courage, and we need to make sure we are fighting back hard."

Following comments from elected officials, Bysiewicz was asked if Republican lawmakers were invited to attend. Bysiewicz said the gathering was publicly noticed.

"Our Republican colleagues were welcome. Had any come, I would have let them speak," Bysiewicz said.

On behalf of the Senate Republican Caucus, state Sen. Stephen Harding (R-30) issued a statement earlier this week on the threats Paris has received.

"There must be zero tolerance for these threats. Violence and threats of violence are never acceptable. There is no place for this, it has to stop, we condemn it in the strongest of terms, and we are glad Rep. Paris and his family are safe," Harding said.

Tuesday's full press event in Hartford can be viewed on the CT-N website.