Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Last June, two investigators employed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) showed up at David Streever's house in Rochester, New York. Streever was not home, so they left him a note. That note, presented as an official warning from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is at the center of a First Amendment lawsuit that Streever filed last month, alleging that ICE agents investigated and threatened him based on his constitutionally protected criticism of their boss. This month, the government responded to Streever's lawsuit, confirming his allegations while attempting to rebut them.

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... What happened next makes little sense if ICE's investigators, who did not even try to contact Streever until five months after his email, were attempting to resolve a legitimate "safety concern." But their actions are completely understandable if they were trying to intimidate an ICE critic.

"YOU MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW," said the "WARNING NOTICE" that two agents left with Streever's wife in Rochester on June 23. It cited two statutes, one dealing with threats of violence against federal officials, the other making it a crime to reveal "restricted personal information" about them with the intent to intimidate or incite violence against them.

Streever had not violated either of those laws. But the notice said ICE had "reason to believe" his email to Lyons "may constitute a violation of Title 18 of the United States Code," which includes more than 1,500 offenses.

The document asked Streever to "promptly remove and/or discontinue the aforementioned behavior." It added that "receipt of this Notice will be taken into consideration, should you continue to be involved in any criminal activities described above."

In addition to delivering the notice, DHS agents unsuccessfully tried to intercept Streever at John F. Kennedy International Airport when he returned from a trip to Finland with his 7-year-old daughter on June 25. They also repeatedly tried to contact him in person and by telephone at the New York hotel where he stayed that night.

After that, Goodwin says, ICE gave up, closing the case on June 30 because "all investigative leads" had been "exhausted." ICE did that even though its agents had never managed to interview Streever so they could determine "whether or not [he] presented a threat," which Goodwin describes as the object of the investigation. ...


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-08-19 01:21 PM | Reply

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