Kenneth Glad
Agents contacted a New York man months after he sent an angry email to an immigration official. Advocates say the encounter fits a broader pattern of law enforcement visits over political speech.
On June 23, David Streever was in Finland with his 7-year-old daughter when two Homeland Security Investigations agents arrived at the family’s home in Rochester, New York, according to NPR.
The person who spoke with them was his wife, the Rev. Hilary Streever. The agents said they were there because of an email David Streever had sent to Todd Lyons, who was then serving as ICE’s acting director.
Before leaving, the agents handed over a written warning that referenced federal statutes covering threats against public officials.
The notice said the episode could be taken into account if authorities later alleged related criminal conduct.
Agents left a legal warning
Civil liberties advocates told NPR that a warning hand-delivered by federal agents carries a different weight than an ordinary complaint. Even without charges, they said, it can make lawful dissent feel risky.
Streever, 45, a former journalist who now works in technology, said he sent one email in January after federal immigration officers fatally shot two people in Minneapolis. The message condemned Lyons, compared him to a Nazi official and said shame would follow him.
Advocates cited by NPR said the email was severe political expression, not a true threat. They argued that hostile language is not the same as a serious intent to commit violence.
“One powerless citizen yelled into the void with a stern email to the former director of this agency six months ago,” Streever told NPR sarcastically. “And now there’s agents at his door.”
DHS said in a statement to the network: “ICE investigates all credible threats towards its employees and officers, including threats to the ICE Director. As a matter of policy, we do not comment on any ongoing investigations.”
Agent found him at hotel
After returning to New York, Streever said an HSI agent found him at a hotel near JFK Airport and left a card at the front desk. He told NPR he had not told agents where he was staying.
Adam Steinbaugh of FIRE said: “A threat is a serious expression of an intent to commit unlawful violence. That’s not what this was at all. This is criticizing the director of ICE and appealing to his conscience and sharing [Streever’s] own views.”
NPR reported that a Syracuse poll worker also received a similar notice over Instagram activity. Advocates described the cases as part of a broader pattern of federal agents confronting people over harsh but lawful comments about immigration enforcement.
Sources: NPR
