A popular Turkish American online streamer who is critical of President Donald Trump was recently detained and questioned at O’Hare International Airport after his flight from Paris landed in Chicago.
Hasan Piker, who has 2.8 million followers on Twitch, recounted his experience online Monday saying he was questioned for hours a day earlier despite being born in the U.S. and enrolled in Global Entry, a federal program allowing low-risk passengers to travel through customs and passport control quickly.
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WATCH HEREPiker believes he was targeted because of his views and said Customs and Border Protection officers asked his opinion of Trump and Hamas, among other topics. The liberal political commentator is frequently critical of Israel and the war in Gaza.
“The goal here is to put fear into people’s hearts, to have a chilling effect on speech,” Piker recounted in a detailed nearly 40-minute long account on his YouTube channel. “The government is now officially willing and able to intimidate you for your speech. That is a direct violation of the First Amendment.”
Piker did not have comment Tuesday beyond his Twitch stream a day earlier, according to a spokesman. The hours-long broadcast on the live streaming platform included the same account posted on YouTube along with Piker's commentary on other topics and his speaking engagement at the University of Chicago.
Federal officials dismissed Piker’s account of the detention on Tuesday, calling the questioning “routine and lawful” and something that can apply to any traveler.
“This is nothing but lying for likes. Claims that his political beliefs triggered the inspection are baseless,” Tricia McLaughlin, U.S. Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, said in a statement. “Our officers are following the law, not agendas. Upon entering the country, this individual was referred for further inspection -- a routine, lawful process that occurs daily, and can apply for any traveler. Once his inspection was complete, he was promptly released.”
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In a statement to NBC News, Piker pushed back on that characterization of the conversation.
“What part of a 'lawful routine inspection' requires DHS to question me about my political views, my opinions on Donald Trump, or my stance on Israel and Palestine?” he said. “The agent was cordial, but the experience, along with reports of other Americans facing similar questioning, seems intended to create a chilling effect on speech. As a taxpayer, I believe CBP agents should be focusing on actual threats, like preventing agricultural risks or combatting trafficking, not interrogating people about their political beliefs.”
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SIGN UP The Trump administration's aggressive crackdown on immigration and student protests have also increased worries among U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents navigating the last steps to citizenship. Recent immigration arrests have mistakenly swept up U.S. citizens in Illinois,Florida and other places.
Trump has deemed the pro-Palestinian campus protests as “anti-American” while critics say student arrests are part of an unprecedented attack on the freedom of speech. Last month a Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student was arrested during what he thought was an interview about his citizenship.
Federal officials declined to give further details about Piker's detention, including what prompted the extensive questioning.
Piker, also known as HasanAbi on Twitch, was born in New Jersey. The 33-year-old was raised in Turkey. He lives in Los Angeles.
“I’m not intimidated," he said on YouTube, where he has 1.6 million subscribers. “I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing.”
Note: This Associated Press story also includes quotes obtained by NBC News reporter Kalhan Rosenblatt.
