Man questioned by Secret Service at home over private anti-ICE messages
Aug 20, 2026 · Carrollton, VA

Austin Connell, a concrete business owner who posts about politics online, was visited at his home in Carrollton, Virginia by Secret Service agents who had obtained screenshots of his private Instagram direct messages. Connell said he does not know how the agents accessed the private messages, which included anti-ICE content, and noted he had also publicly criticized ICE. "I'm for law enforcement—just not corrupt law enforcement," he said.
Sources
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