New York Man Sues ICE Over Warning Delivered After Critical Email

A Rochester, New York resident filed a federal lawsuit Monday against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after officers delivered a warning notice to his home over an email he sent to the agency’s former acting director. The suit, filed in Washington, D.C., claims the January email constituted protected political speech and that the June visit by federal officers infringed on the sender’s constitutional rights.

Background of the email The email was sent after an immigration officer fatally shot a Minneapolis resident during an anti-ICE demonstration. It addressed the then-acting ICE director and contained strong language comparing the recipient to a Nazi official and predicting personal downfall.

Federal officers first attempted to locate the sender at a New York City hotel upon his return from Finland but were turned away by hotel staff. They later visited his Rochester residence and presented his wife with the warning notice.

Pattern of similar visits The Rochester case is one of at least two instances in upstate New York in which residents received federal warnings in June after posting or sending criticism of ICE online. In a separate incident the same week, officials visited a poll worker at a voting location during New York’s primaries to address a social media post.

Agency response Homeland Security officials issued a statement asserting that any suggestion the department is attempting to restrict free speech is false and that individuals who threaten law enforcement officers will face consequences. ICE representatives previously declined to comment on the specific warning, citing an ongoing investigation, and had not issued a new statement by Monday evening.

“Anyone who assaults or threatens our law enforcement officers will face the consequences.”