David Streever, a U.S. citizen from Rochester, New York, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), claiming violations of his First Amendment rights. The lawsuit, filed on July 7, 2026, challenges ICE's actions after Streever sent a critical email to then-acting ICE Director Todd Lyons in January 2026.

The email was written following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis resident, by an ICE agent during an immigration raid. In the email, Streever called Lyons "a monstrous human being" who "will go down in history as America's Reinhard Heydrich, the butcher," referencing a notorious Nazi official.

Five months after sending the email, while Streever was traveling in Finland with his daughter, two federal officers visited his Rochester home and presented his wife with a warning notice. The notice informed Streever that the email he sent was considered a threat. His attorneys argue this visit was an intimidation tactic infringing on his right to free speech.

The Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is representing Streever and filed the lawsuit to contest ICE's conduct, describing it as an effort to silence criticism and a violation of constitutional rights.

The lawsuit also names Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. His office has denied allegations that DHS and its components attempt to suppress free speech, calling such claims "categorically FALSE," according to the Associated Press.

The warning to Streever coincided with reports of another New Yorker, poll worker Paigelynne Gonyea, who said federal officers confronted her at a voting site regarding a social media post about Jonathan Ross, the ICE officer involved in Good's shooting. DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis stated that Gonyea "committed a federal crime by posting the address of an ICE law enforcement officer online" and warned that "if you doxx our officers, we will investigate you, and you will be brought to justice."

Former acting ICE Director Tom Homan has publicly refuted calls to abolish ICE, promising increased federal immigration enforcement in New York due to local non-cooperation.

This case highlights ongoing tensions between ICE enforcement actions and public criticism, raising questions about the balance between national security and constitutional freedoms.

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