A resident of upstate New York has filed a lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after federal officers visited his home to warn him about an email he sent to the agency’s former acting director. David Streever, a U.S. citizen who was traveling in Finland at the time, was not present when two ICE officers appeared at his Rochester residence in June, delivering a notice to his wife. The notice stated that an email Streever sent months earlier was considered a threat, according to his attorneys.
The email in question was sent in January to Todd Lyons, then acting director of ICE, in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good by an immigration officer during an anti-ICE demonstration. Streever’s email described Lyons as “a monstrous human being” and compared him to Reinhard Heydrich, a Nazi official, saying Lyons “will never know peace.” The lawsuit, filed Monday in Washington, contends that ICE violated Streever’s First Amendment rights by treating the email as a threat.
Streever is reportedly one of at least two individuals from upstate New York who received federal warnings in June after publicly criticizing ICE. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is representing Streever and argues that his email constitutes protected political speech. Adam Steinbaugh, an attorney with the foundation, called the warning “very clearly within the protection of the First Amendment.”
ICE declined to comment on the warning issued to Streever, citing an ongoing investigation, and the agency did not respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit. The complaint also names Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, whose office did not immediately respond to inquiries. In a statement last week, ICE said it investigates all credible threats against its employees and officers, including those directed at the ICE Director.
The full email sent by Streever, bearing the subject line “What’s next,” included charged language warning Lyons of an eventual downfall and personal torment. Federal agents also attempted to confront Streever at a New York City hotel upon his return from Finland but were denied access by hotel staff, according to Steinbaugh.
The visit to Streever’s home occurred the same week that federal agents confronted another upstate New York resident, Paigelynne Gonyea, a poll worker, over a social media post during the state’s primaries. Gonyea’s post, made in January, expressed support for the indictment of Jonathan Ross, the ICE officer who shot Good, and included Ross’s picture. DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis stated that Gonyea shared Ross’s home address in a separate social media post, which DHS characterized as a federal crime of doxxing. Bis warned that posting officers’ private information would prompt investigations and legal consequences.
The New York Attorney General’s Office has acknowledged awareness of the federal agents’ interactions with both Streever and Gonyea and said it is reviewing the incident involving Gonyea at the polling location.