First trans mayor in Pa. stokes backlash for posting ICE agent location: 'I won't stop alerting you'

The first transgender-identifying mayor elected in Pennsylvania appears to have deleted his X account after stoking backlash for alerting people on Facebook to what he thought was the location of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers this week.

Erica Deuso, who was elected last month to lead the borough of Downingtown near Philadelphia, was shown to have been tipping off what he believed was the live location of ICE agents in the town of approximately 8,000 on Monday. The post was soon flagged by the influential Libs of TikTok account on X.

"Thanks to an intrepid Good Neighbor I am able to tell you that there is a fresh ICE delivery near the Wawa on Boot Road in Downingtown," Deuso wrote in a post on his campaign Facebook page. "If you see these guys in their masks, tell them that it's a little too cold right now in our town for ICE."

Deuso's X account, @EricaDeuso, appears to have been deleted since Libs of TikTok picked up his post. "This account doesn't exist," the account now says, as of Tuesday.

Meet Erica Deuso, the new mayor of Downingtown, PA.

He’s a man pretending to be a woman who’s now doxxing ICE’s live locations to warn illegals so they can evade ICE. He also encourages people to go harass ICE agents.

CHARGE HIM.

Cc @ICEgov@TheJusticeDeptpic.twitter.com/cHZGHFrael

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 1, 2025

In a lengthy statement on Facebook on Tuesday, Deuso denied attempting to "dox" federal law enforcement and maintained his post was well within the scope of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

"I did not dox anyone. Doxing means posting private or identifying information about a person with harmful intent. I did not share names, addresses, photos, license plates, or anything personal," Deuso wrote.

"Alerting the public to possible law enforcement activity is protected free speech under Friend v. Gasparino, a federal court case that confirmed sharing information about police presence is lawful when you do not interfere or encourage harm."

Deuso noted that the "intrepid Good Neighbor" who reportedly served as his source was mistaken in identifying the presence of ICE agents in Downingtown.

"Fortunately, the report turned out to be incorrect. In a video taken by my source, the vehicle turned out to be a Pennsylvania State Police Motor Carrier Enforcement Officer checking landscaper trucks and trailers. I did not tell anyone to go there or confront them. There was no call for violence, no directions, and no incitement."

Deuso went on to claim that after Libs of TikTok promulgated his post, he has "received hundreds of abusive messages and threats toward me, my family, and members of our town." He added that local police are investigating the threats against him and that his top priority is the safety of Downingtown residents.

"I will always put the safety of our residents, all residents, first, and I won't stop alerting you all to potential issues happening in our area. Everyone deserves to feel secure and protected. That's what I will continue to provide to keep our town (and EVERYONE in it) safe, sustainable and strong," Deuso added.

The Christian Post has reached out to both Deuso and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment, and will update this article if they respond.

Deuso drew attention after his election last month for a September post on his since-deleted X account that warned ICE's immigration enforcement would potentially lead to a violent response from armed citizens.

"I forsee [sic] violent pushback from an armed citizenry in the future," Deuso tweeted Sept. 23 in response to an X post by DHS that featured a video of ICE raids cut with the Pokémon theme song, "Gotta Catch 'Em All!"

"The 2nd Amendment folx [sic] were very clear that weapons are meant to oppose a tyrannical government ..." Deuso added.

A day after Deuso's tweet, 29-year-old Joshua Jahn opened fire on an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 24, killing two detainees and wounding another before taking his own life.

Deuso told CP last month that his September post was not a call to violence, but rather a warning regarding what can happen when a government acts tyrannically, citing the American Revolution.

"That post wasn't a call for violence. I don't support violence in any form," Deuso told CP. "Our government has too often ignored the rights of its own people, and history shows what happens when that disrespect goes too far; Boston Harbor once had tea floating in it for a reason. The point I was making is that trust and accountability matter."

"When leaders listen and take responsibility, tensions go down instead of up. My message was about preventing conflict, not causing it," Deuso added.

Violent threats against ICE law enforcement officers and their families have surged 8,000%, according to statistics released by DHS on Oct. 30.