Upstate New Yorker Sues ICE Over Home Visit Linked to Email
A resident of upstate New York has filed a lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), alleging that federal agents visited his home to deliver a warning stemming from an email he sent to the agency’s leadership.
David Strieber, a U.S. citizen, was in Finland when two police officers arrived at his Rochester residence in June. They handed his wife a notice indicating that an email Strieber had sent months earlier was classified as a threat, according to his legal representatives. Strieber’s email was directed to then-acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, following the controversial shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good by an ICE officer during an anti-ICE protest.
In the email, Strieber described Lyons as “a monstrous human being who will never know peace.” His lawsuit, filed Monday in Washington, D.C., claims that ICE infringed upon his First Amendment rights, particularly regarding free speech.
Strieber is among at least two upstate New York residents who received similar warnings from the federal government in June after expressing criticism of ICE on social media. The Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is representing Strieber, asserting that his right to free expression has been compromised.
“This clearly falls within the protections of the First Amendment,” stated Adam Steinbaugh, an attorney from the foundation. “It was expressed in a context of political discourse.”
While ICE officials have refrained from commenting on Strieber’s warning due to an ongoing investigation, the agency had no immediate response to inquiries made on Monday. The lawsuit also targets Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who oversees ICE. In a statement, Mullin’s office defended the agency, asserting that allegations suggesting DHS is attempting to stifle free speech are completely unfounded.
The statement further emphasized, “Those who assault or threaten our law enforcement officers will face the consequences.” Strieber’s email, which had the subject line “What’s next?” included harsh comparisons to historical figures responsible for atrocities. He stated, “You are a monster and will go down in history as the American butcher Reinhard Heydrich.”
Following his return from Finland, Steinbaugh mentioned that federal agents attempted to approach Strieber at a New York City hotel, but were denied entry by hotel staff. Coincidentally, the same week, federal agents visited Paigelyn Gonia—a poll worker—during the New York state primary, questioning her about her social media activity.
Gonia believes she received a warning due to a post featuring a photo of Jonathan Ross, the ICE officer involved in Good’s fatal shooting. In her January post, she remarked, “I think today is a great day for Jonathan to be indicted,” after Ross had already been identified in news reports.
Lauren Biss, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, noted that Gonia faced legal repercussions for sharing personal information about ICE officers online. She stated, “If you expose officers, we will investigate you and bring you to justice.” A representative from the New York State Attorney General’s Office confirmed awareness of the interactions between the two residents and federal agents and indicated that it is reviewing the circumstances surrounding Gonia’s encounters with federal officials at the polling site.
