A New York man has filed a lawsuit against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after federal officers visited his home and issued a warning over an email he sent to the agency's former acting director. David Streever, a US citizen, was traveling in Finland in June when two ICE officers arrived at his Rochester residence and presented his wife with a warning notice, according to his attorneys.
Email to ICE Director Sparks Federal Response
Streever sent the email in January to Todd Lyons, then acting director of ICE, following the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good by an immigration officer during an anti-ICE demonstration. The incident was captured on video. In his three-paragraph email, Streever called Lyons "a monstrous human being" who "will never know peace" and compared him to Reinhard Heydrich, a Nazi leader. The email's subject line was "What's next."
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Washington DC, alleges that ICE violated Streever's First Amendment rights to free speech. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, based in Philadelphia, is representing Streever. Attorney Adam Steinbaugh stated, "This is very clearly within the protection of the first amendment. It was in the context of political speech."
Second Upstate NY Resident Targeted
Streever is one of at least two upstate New York residents who received federal warnings in June after criticizing ICE online. Paigelynne Gonyea, a poll worker, was confronted by federal agents at a voting location during New York's primaries over a social media post about the same ICE officer. Gonyea's post included a picture of Jonathan Ross, the officer who shot Good, and stated, "I think today is a great day for Jonathan to be indicted."
Homeland Security Department spokesperson Lauren Bis claimed 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." Gonyea denies sharing Ross's address.
Government Response and Legal Action
ICE previously declined to comment on Streever's case, citing an ongoing investigation. The agency did not immediately comment on the lawsuit. The suit also names Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. Mullin's office released a statement saying, "Any allegation DHS and its components are attempting to 'squash' free speech is categorically FALSE," adding that "Anyone who assaults or threatens our law enforcement officers will face the consequences."
Federal agents also attempted to confront Streever at a New York City hotel upon his return from Finland but were turned away by hotel staff, according to Steinbaugh. The New York attorney general's office is aware of both incidents and has been reviewing the interaction between Gonyea and federal agents at the polls.
