LinkedIn Blames ‘Error’ After Censoring Pro-ICE Post
LinkedIn briefly removed a post from the State Freedom Caucus Network (SFCN) that urged states to cooperate with ICE adn CBP to remove undocumented immigrants, initially labeling it “hateful speech.” The post, which praised Department of Homeland Security removal efforts and urged state collaboration, was taken down under LinkedIn’s “Do not be hateful” policy; SFCN president Andy Roth was notified the content violated professional community standards. LinkedIn later said the removal was an error,restored the post after a review,and apologized,noting authors can request a second review if they beleive content was actioned incorrectly. Roth responded by deleting SFCN’s LinkedIn account and accused the platform of “woke censorship.” The article also highlighted criticisms of LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and included background on the source and author.
The professional networking company LinkedIn removed a conservative organization’s post that encouraged states to cooperate with federal immigration authorities on Wednesday, later saying it did so in “error.” The company initially claimed the post constituted “hateful speech.”
In its post from earlier this week, the State Freedom Caucus Network (SCFN) underscored the “essential” work the Department of Homeland Security is doing in removing the millions of illegal aliens the Biden administration allowed into the United States. The group further noted the importance of states working alongside ICE and Customs and Border Protection officials to remove such individuals — including unlawfully present criminals — from America’s streets.
“Every state must ensure collaboration with ICE and CBP to remove [these illegal aliens]. Our caucuses are on the frontlines leading their states to support [President Trump’s] mission to keep Americans safe!” the post read in part.
SCFN President Andy Roth told The Federalist that his group received a notice from LinkedIn on Wednesday morning, informing them that the post had been removed. The company claimed in its notice that the post constituted so-called “hateful speech,” and therefore violated LinkedIn’s “Professional Community Policies.”
“Our Trust and Safety team has removed [your post] from LinkedIn and only administrators of this page can access it,” the LinkedIn notice reads. “Repeatedly creating content that doesn’t comply with our policies could lead to your LinkedIn account being restricted or your page being restricted.”
Roth said that he has deleted the SFCN’s LinkedIn account due to the company’s “woke censorship.”
Under the “Do not be hateful” section of its Professional Community Policies, LinkedIn stipulates that it does not permit “content that attacks, denigrates, intimidates, dehumanizes, incites or threatens hatred, violence, prejudicial or discriminatory action against individuals or groups because of their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, age, or disability status.”
The company further prohibits so-called “hate groups” from using its platform, as well as the use of “racial, religious, or other slurs that incite or promote hatred, or any other content intended to create division.”
When pressed on how the SFCN’s post constitutes “hateful speech” and how it violates LinkedIn’s content policies, LinkedIn spokeswoman Leonna Spilman told The Federalist that the post “was removed in error,” and that the company “quickly corrected it.”
When subsequently asked about what LinkedIn is doing to ensure such “errors” don’t happen again in the future, Spilman said, “If an author believes their content was actioned incorrectly, the author has the ability to request a second review.” She also linked to a page on LinkedIn’s Help Center that allows account owners to make such a request.
Roth confirmed to The Federalist that LinkedIn restored the post to SCFN’s now-deleted account. The company’s notice to the SCFN president reads in part, “Initially, your post was removed for going against our policies. As part of our review, we now find that your post doesn’t go against our policies and apologize for the mistake.”
“LinkedIn just proved once again that their woke censorship machine is still running full throttle,” Roth told The Federalist. “Our states will keep fighting to expose leftist tech corporations like LinkedIn for who they are, so that they respect freedom, not play hall monitor for the left.”
It’s worth noting that LinkedIn was co-founded by Reid Hoffman, a leftist billionaire and major megadonor to the Democrat Party and left-wing causes.
According to InfluenceWatch, “In 2017, Hoffman launched a number of left-of-center organizations, investments, and fundraising efforts to oppose President Trump and the Republican Party.” These efforts have included “personally bankroll[ing] E. Jean Carroll’s suspect sexual assault lawsuit against Trump; donat[ing] heavily to the legal defense fund for Fusion GPS, the outfit that created the bogus Steele Dossier Democrats and the intel agencies used to smear Trump; and [having to] apologize[] for funding ‘fake news’ modeled after Russian propaganda to influence a Senate election,” as The Federalist’s Mark Hemingway reported.
The LinkedIn co-founder also had ties to deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
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