A Rochester resident, David Streever, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), alleging that federal agents violated his First Amendment rights by tracking him down to deliver an intimidating “warning notice” regarding a political email he sent months earlier.
The Incident
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Washington, D.C., by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), stems from a January 2026 email Streever sent to then-acting ICE director Todd Lyons. Following a high-profile immigration enforcement incident in Minneapolis, Streever wrote to Lyons criticizing the agency’s conduct. Five months later, on June 23, two Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents arrived at Streever’s home to serve him with a “WARNING NOTICE,” claiming his email may have violated federal law regarding threats to officials.
Streever, who was traveling with his family at the time, was later confronted at a hotel by federal agents, raising significant questions regarding how the agency tracked his private movements. The notice warned that receipt of the document would be considered if Streever continued his “criminal activities,” a move his legal team characterizes as a calculated attempt to chill protected political speech.
Broader Pattern of Intimidation
The lawsuit also highlights the case of Paigelynne Gonyea, who was confronted by HSI agents on the same day while working as a poll worker in Syracuse. Agents reportedly entered a polling place—a move questioned by local officials—to serve her a warning notice regarding an Instagram post. DHS has alleged Gonyea “doxxed” an officer, a claim she disputes.
FIRE attorney Adam Steinbaugh argues that the government’s significant delay in responding to these communications undermines the claim that they were genuine threats. “If someone is really threatening a government official, you don’t wait five months to act on it,” Steinbaugh said. The lawsuit seeks to bar the DHS from using these formal warnings to coerce or intimidate private citizens for exercising their constitutional right to criticize the government.