A New York resident is suing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that agents violated his First Amendment rights by visiting his home and issuing a warning over an email he sent criticizing the agency.
David Streever, a U.S. citizen residing in Rochester, filed the lawsuit in Washington, D.C., on Monday. The complaint argues that federal officials infringed upon his right to speak out against the government.
According to the lawsuit, two ICE officers appeared at Streever's home in June 2026 to deliver a warning notice to his wife. Streever was abroad in Finland with his daughter at the time. The notice stated that an email Streever had sent months earlier to Todd Lyons, then acting director of ICE, was considered a threat.
Streever had sent the email in January after an ICE agent shot and killed U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good during an immigration raid in Minneapolis. In the email, Streever described Lyons as a "monstrous human being" and warned of his "downfall" and future shame, drawing a comparison to Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich.
The warning notice his wife received stated that Streever "may be in violation of federal law" and urged him to "promptly remove and/or discontinue" his behavior. It also warned that the notice would be considered if he continued to be involved in "criminal activities."
After Streever returned from his trip, federal officers reportedly attempted to confront him at a New York City hotel, but were turned away by staff. That same night, agents repeatedly called Streever's phone, leaving voicemails identifying themselves only as Homeland Security Investigations.
Streever's attorney, Adam Steinbaugh of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, argued that the email constituted protected speech under the First Amendment and did not pose a legitimate threat. "If someone is really threatening a government official, you don’t wait five months to act on it," Steinbaugh stated. "The fact that authorities didn’t respond immediately shows that David presented no threat. This pursuit is designed to intimidate lawful speech, pure and simple."
Streever expressed shock at the agents' actions, stating, "I cherish our right to speak openly about issues of public concern. I hope others will not be discouraged from peacefully expressing their views, even when those views are critical of the government."
He added, "Like many Americans, I was deeply upset after the shootings in Minnesota and I felt compelled to do something. Writing an email to the head of ICE seemed like the least I could do to express my sense of outrage. I never dreamed it would lead to a knock on my door by federal officers or descending on my hotel in the dark of night."
The lawsuit seeks a court order compelling DHS and ICE officials to cease their alleged "coercion and retaliation" against Streever for his protected speech.
A DHS spokesperson, Lauren Bis, previously stated that allegations of DHS components attempting to "squash" free speech are "categorically FALSE." This statement was made in reference to a separate incident where poll worker Paigelynne Gonyea in Syracuse, New York, was questioned by federal officers about a social media post she made concerning the ICE officer involved in the Minneapolis shooting. Bis claimed Gonyea committed a federal crime by posting the officer's address online, stating, "if you doxx our officers, we will investigate you, and you will be brought to justice."