Key facts
- David Streever is suing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for alleged First Amendment violations.
- The lawsuit stems from federal officers visiting Streever's home to deliver a warning about an email he sent to ICE's former acting director.
- Streever's email, sent after an ICE officer fatally shot a protester, called the director a "monstrous human being" and stated he "will never know peace."
- The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is representing Streever, arguing his email constituted protected political speech.
- Federal agents also attempted to confront Streever at a hotel and previously visited another New York resident, Paigelynne Gonyea, over a social media post.
A New York resident, David Streever, has filed a lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), alleging the agency violated his First Amendment rights by sending federal officers to his home to deliver a warning about an email he sent.
Streever, a U.S. citizen, sent the email in January to Todd Lyons, then the acting director of ICE, following the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis resident by an ICE officer during an anti-ICE demonstration. In the email, Streever referred to Lyons as a "monstrous human being" and stated he "will never know peace."
According to Streever's attorneys, two federal officers visited his Rochester home in June while he was traveling and presented his wife with a notice that the email was considered a threat. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, representing Streever, argues that his email was protected political speech.
This incident is one of at least two instances in upstate New York where residents received federal warnings after criticizing ICE online. Separately, poll worker Paigelynne Gonyea reported being confronted by federal agents at a voting location regarding a social media post that allegedly identified an ICE officer involved in the shooting. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated that Gonyea "committed a federal crime by posting the address of an ICE law enforcement officer online."
The lawsuit, filed in Washington D.C., also names Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. ICE has stated that it investigates all credible threats towards its employees and officers. Federal agents also reportedly attempted to confront Streever at a New York City hotel upon his return from Finland.