DHS defends ICE tracking and questioning critic who sent email to former agency head

The Department of Homeland Security is defending the actions of ICE agents who tracked David Streever across multiple locations—including his Rochester home, JFK Airport, and a hotel—after he sent a critical email to former ICE head Todd Lyons. Streever filed a First Amendment lawsuit, represented by FIRE, arguing the intimidation forced him to censor himself. While the government closed the probe on June 30, 2026, federal lawyers argue that such in-person visits and warning notices are critical, constitutional tools to address rising threats against public officials.

ICE tracking of critic

• ▪Two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents from Jersey City, New Jersey, traveled over 330 miles to Rochester, New York, on June 23, 2026, to question David Streever at his home.
• ▪After David Streever's wife informed agents he was in Europe, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents tracked his return flight to confront him at John F. Kennedy International Airport on June 25, 2026.
• ▪U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents obtained David Streever's hotel information from Customs and Border Protection and attempted to contact him there after failing to stop him at the airport.
• ▪U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents attempted to track down David Streever at his home, an airport, and a hotel to confront him over an email he sent to the former head of the agency.

Critical email to Lyons

• ▪Brent Goodwin of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stated that David Streever's email was forwarded for investigation because it had potential threatening undertones to personnel, presenting a potential safety concern.
• ▪David Streever's January 2026 email was sent after federal immigration officials fatally shot two U.S. citizen observers in Minneapolis.
• ▪David Streever sent an email in January 2026 to Todd Lyons, the former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, comparing Lyons to a Nazi and predicting Lyons would be tormented by his conscience.

Government defense of investigations

• ▪The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement defended their investigation of David Streever in court filings, arguing that in-person investigatory visits and warning notices do not violate the First Amendment.
• ▪The federal government's court filings did not argue that David Streever's January 2026 email constituted an actual violent threat that could be prosecuted under federal law.
• ▪Lawyers from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C., argued that blocking the government from taking action against David Streever would unnecessarily inhibit the government's investigatory prerogative amid rising threats against public officials.

First Amendment lawsuit

• ▪David Streever's attorneys from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression asked a federal judge to block federal officials from taking further action to intimidate or retaliate against Streever.
• ▪U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents left David Streever's wife with a warning notice stating he may be in violation of federal laws that make it a crime to threaten federal officials.
• ▪David Streever filed a First Amendment lawsuit against Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, arguing their actions caused him to censor himself.

Investigation closure in June

• ▪The closure of the investigation into David Streever occurred after a Syracuse newspaper and NPR had already published or sought comment regarding the tracking incident.
• ▪U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement closed its investigation into David Streever on June 30, 2026, after Special Agent Abbi Henry reported that the Jersey City office had exhausted all investigative leads.

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