DHS defends investigating agency critics and giving them warning notices

Law DHS defends investigating agency critics and giving them warning notices August 17, 20269:31 AM ET By  Jude Joffe-Block Two federal agents in blue jackets stand on David Streever's porch at his home in Rochester, N.Y. David Streever hide caption toggle caption David Streever After U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents tried to track down a New York man at his home, an airport and a hotel to confront him over a critical email he sent to the former head of ICE five months prior, federal officials are defending such investigations in court filings. The same court filings say the investigation into the man, David Streever, was closed at the end of June. National He sent a harsh email to ICE's top official. 5 months later, federal agents tracked him down NPR wrote about Streever's case last month and the First Amendment lawsuit he filed against Department of Homeland Security and ICE officials. Two ICE special agents came looking for Streever at his home in Rochester on June 23 to ask him about a scathing email he sent former acting director of ICE, Todd Lyons in January. The email, which was written after federal immigration officials fatally shot two U.S. citizen observers in Minneapolis, compared Lyons to a Nazi and predicted the ICE leader would be tormented by his own conscience. Sponsor Message National Man sues DHS after agents tracked him down for sending a scathing email to ICE The agents left Streever's wife with a warning notice for Streever to sign and return. It said "YOU MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW" and listed federal laws that make it a crime to threaten federal officials. The bottom of the form reads: "Receipt of this Notice will be taken into consideration, should you continue to be involved in any criminal activities described above." Streever sued, arguing the government's actions caused him to self-censor himself and violated his First Amendment rights. His attorneys with the nonprofit free speech group, the Foundation for In...