A Rochester, New York, resident reported that federal agents visited his home to deliver a warning about an email he sent earlier this year criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactics. The incident has drawn criticism from free speech advocates who argue it represents an overreach by federal authorities.
David Streever stated that two federal officers appeared at his home last week while he was traveling internationally and handed his wife a notice. The warning pertained to an email Streever sent in January to Todd Lyons, then-acting director of ICE. The email was sent following the fatal shooting of U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis.
In the email, Streever referred to Lyons as a "monstrous human being" who "will never know peace" and predicted his downfall. Streever's attorney, Adam Steinbaugh of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), characterized the email as political speech protected by the First Amendment, asserting it does not constitute a credible threat of violence. "A true threat is a serious expression of an intent to commit violence. This email doesn't even come close," Steinbaugh said.
Streever expressed surprise that federal officers would confront him over the email. "Like many Americans, I was deeply upset after the shootings in Minnesota and I felt compelled to do something," he said in a statement. "Writing a letter 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."
ICE acknowledged investigating credible threats against its personnel. "ICE investigates all credible threats towards its employees and officers, including threats to the ICE Director," the agency stated. The specific justification for treating Streever's email as a threat has not been publicly detailed by the government.
The warning issued to Streever occurred around the same time a poll worker in Syracuse, New York, was reportedly questioned by federal officers at a voting site. The agents inquired about a social media post the worker, Paigelynne Gonyea, made concerning the ICE officer involved in the Minneapolis shooting. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson indicated that Gonyea had shared the officer's address online, a practice they deem a federal crime. "If you doxx our officers, we will investigate you, and you will be brought to justice," the spokesperson stated.
Advocates from FIRE and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have raised concerns that these incidents demonstrate federal law enforcement potentially infringing on Americans' rights to free speech and privacy. Nathan Freed Wessler, deputy director of the ACLU's speech, privacy and technology project, stated, "Nobody should be tracked down at their home or hotel room by federal agents in retribution for sending an email merely expressing frustration and opposition to the government’s actions. This is an abuse of power and a gross attempt to chill Americans’ constitutionally protected speech."