David Streever, a U.S. citizen from upstate New York, has filed a lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after federal officers visited his home in June to deliver a warning about an email he sent to the agency's former acting director. The lawsuit, filed Monday in Washington D.C., alleges that ICE violated his First Amendment rights by targeting him for political speech.
Background of the Incident
Streever was on a trip to Finland when two ICE officers arrived at his Rochester home and presented his wife with a warning notice. The notice stated that an email Streever sent in January to Todd Lyons, then acting director of ICE, was considered a threat. The email was written after an immigration officer fatally shot Minneapolis resident Renee Good during an anti-ICE demonstration.
In the email, Streever called Lyons 'a monstrous human being' who 'will never know peace.' He also referenced a Nazi leader, writing, 'You are a monstrous human being and will go down in history as America's Reinhard Heydrich, the butcher.' The full email, with the subject line 'What's next,' included statements like, 'You will never know peace. You will seek to lose yourself, to escape the burden of knowing the truth about yourself.'
Legal Challenge and Representation
The Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is representing Streever. Adam Steinbaugh, an attorney with FIRE, said, 'This is very clearly within the protection of the First Amendment. It was in the context of political speech.' The lawsuit argues that the warning was an unconstitutional attempt to suppress criticism of government officials.
Streever is one of at least two upstate New York residents who received federal warnings in June for criticizing ICE online. Federal agents also attempted to confront Streever at a New York City hotel upon his return from Finland, but hotel staff turned them away.
ICE and DHS Responses
ICE previously declined to comment on the warning, citing an ongoing investigation, and did not immediately comment on the lawsuit. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, issued a statement through Secretary Markwayne Mullin's office: 'Any allegation DHS and its components are attempting to “squash” free speech is categorically FALSE. Anyone who assaults or threatens our law enforcement officers will face the consequences.'
DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis also referenced a separate case involving Paigelynne Gonyea, a poll worker who received a warning after posting about the ICE officer who shot Good. Bis said Gonyea 'committed a federal crime by posting the address of an ICE law enforcement officer online' and warned, 'if you doxx our officers, we will investigate you, and you will be brought to justice.'
Broader Implications
The New York Attorney General's Office is aware of both incidents and has been reviewing the interaction between Gonyea and federal agents at a polling place during the state's primaries. The lawsuit highlights ongoing tensions between free speech rights and federal efforts to protect law enforcement officers from perceived threats.
