ICE tracked David Streever to his home and NYC hotel
Homeland Security Investigations agents visited Rochester resident David Streever's home in June and later tracked him to a New York City hotel, months after he sent a harsh January email to then-acting ICE director Todd Lyons criticizing fatal shootings in Minneapolis. His wife received a federal warning notice while he was vacationing in Finland with their daughter. Streever's attorney says the david streever ice warning case is protected speech, not a threat.
The episode, reported by NPR, has renewed debate about whether federal tracking tactics chill Americans who criticize immigration enforcement. Streever, 45, a former journalist now in tech, says he never imagined one angry email would bring agents to his door.
Key Takeaways
- Two HSI agents visited Streever's Rochester home on June 23 while he was in Finland with his 7-year-old daughter.
- A third agent tracked him to a JFK-area hotel hours after he landed; hotel staff did not let the agent reach his room.
- Agents cited a Jan. 26 email calling Lyons a "monstrous human being" who would "never know peace."
- FIRE attorney Adam Steinbaugh argues the message is First Amendment-protected political speech.
- DHS says ICE investigates credible threats but won't explain how agents located Streever.
Why did federal agents show up at David Streever's home?
Streever was in Finland when his doorbell camera captured two officers on his Rochester porch on June 23. His wife, the Rev. Hilary Streever, met them while arriving home with their 2-year-old son.
The Homeland Security Investigations agents said they were investigating an email David may or may not have sent threatening Todd Lyons, the former acting ICE director. They left a form warning he may be violating federal laws against threatening officials.
Streever told NPR he sent one Jan. 26 email after federal officers fatally shot Renée Macklin Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. He called Lyons a "monstrous human being," compared him to a Nazi official, and wrote Lyons would "torment" himself over his actions.
How did ICE track Streever to his hotel after Finland?
Hours after Streever landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, a third HSI agent appeared at the front desk of his airport hotel. The agent left a business card before staff phoned Streever's room.
Streever said nobody outside his family knew which hotel he booked. That detail raises questions about whether travel or other data helped locate him — a concern tied to broader surveillance and digital tracking debates. DHS declined to explain how agents found him and said it does not comment on ongoing investigations.
Is Streever's email a threat or protected speech?
Steinbaugh of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression said a true threat requires intent to commit violence. "This email doesn't even come close," he told the Associated Press. "It's political speech, it's an act of petitioning your government."
Streever said writing to ICE's head "seemed like the least I could do" after the Minnesota shootings. He has not contacted DHS since the warning. ACLU deputy director Nathan Freed Wessler called the visits an attempt to chill constitutionally protected speech.
The same agents reportedly delivered a similar warning to Syracuse poll worker Paigelynne Gonyea that day over a social media post about the officer who shot Good. Steinbaugh is evaluating next steps and has not filed court papers.