ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A Democratic congressional candidate is speaking out after what she describes as a threatening social media comment directed at her.

Tamika Lyles, who is running for Florida’s 16th Congressional District, said the comment was posted under a Facebook post announcing she had signed a pledge to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“After I signed the abolish ICE pledge, I became the target of a serious threat of political violence,” Lyles said during a news conference Thursday.

The comment included a picture of a masked man pointing a gun at another man kneeling on the ground, along with the words, “Only traitors help invaders.”

“Because I take the safety of my family, my supporters and this community seriously, this threat has been reported to local law enforcement and the FBI,” Lyles said. “This is not political speech. This is not patriotism. That is an attempt to intimidate a candidate for Congress through fear.”

Lyles was joined by members of several local advocacy and political organizations.

“That meme is a call to action for bad actors in the area,” said Shar Nunley, president of the Pinellas County Democratic Veterans Caucus. “I feel like this is something that needs to be addressed on Facebook. This is something that needs to be addressed through social media. These threats are very viable, and they’re very real.”

“To anyone who is threatening a political candidate, I hope that you’re dealt with, and that our system handles you through the court of law,” Pinellas Democratic Black Caucus President Kyandra Darling said.

Lyles said she will not allow the comment to derail her campaign.

“If this threat was meant to silence me, it has failed. If it was meant to scare me out of this race, it has failed,” she said.

Three of Lyles’s Republican opponents also responded to News Channel 8 on the matter.

Dr. Edward P. Pope, a Republican candidate for Florida’s 16th Congressional District, sent the following statement:

As a former law enforcement officer and the conservative Republican candidate for Florida’s 16th Congressional District, I strongly disagree with my opponent’s decision to sign a pledge to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). I understand firsthand the importance of supporting the men and women who risk their lives to uphold the law and keep our communities safe. ICE plays a critical role in protecting our national security, disrupting criminal networks, and enforcing our immigration laws. Abolishing the agency would make our communities less safe, not more.

Every nation has both the right and the responsibility to enforce its immigration laws and protect its borders. While no agency is beyond accountability or reform, eliminating ICE altogether would undermine our ability to combat human trafficking, drug smuggling, transnational criminal organizations, and the removal of individuals who are in the country illegally and pose a threat to public safety.

I support secure borders, the rule of law, and a fair, orderly immigration system. That includes providing ICE agents with the resources they need to carry out their mission professionally, constitutionally, and effectively while ensuring appropriate oversight and accountability.

Congress should strengthen border security, enforce existing immigration laws, and fix our broken immigration system in a way that protects both our national security and our nation’s long tradition of legal immigration.

Eddie Speir, another Republican candidate for Florida’s 16th Congressional District, said:

“The image circulating in response to my opponent’s call to abolish ICE is deeply troubling and I reject it completely.

But, my opponent’s position is not reasonable policy. Calling to abolish ICE is a call to end the enforcement of our immigration laws entirely. That is a serious position with serious consequences for American communities. It deserves serious debate.

But the moment we respond to bad policy with imagery that dehumanizes people, we have lost the argument and our own moral standing.

I support strong borders, robust immigration enforcement, and the men and women of ICE who do a dangerous and necessary job. I will fight for all of that without resorting to content that dehumanizes the opposition.”

Sydney Gruters, also a Republican candidate for Florida’s 16th Congressional District, said the following:

“While I disagree with Tamika and her position regarding abolishing ICE, violent rhetoric towards any political candidate should never be tolerated.”

8 On Your Side reached out to Meta, Facebook’s parent company, for comment but has not received a response.

Lyles said she also reported the comment to the FBI and local law enforcement and is waiting to see what happens next.

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