Left: Matthew White (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement). Right: Law officials spread out through an apartment complex during a raid, Feb. 5, 2025, in east Denver (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File).
A New York resident has been formally charged for making threats against a federal law enforcement officer and his family, as stated by the Department of Justice. The man allegedly used social media to express his intentions, including a chilling statement about wanting to shoot the officer and harm his children. Additionally, he reportedly targeted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents with his threats.
Matthew White, aged 43, reportedly took to the platform X in April, where he posted inflammatory messages such as, “Kill them all, ICE is the new age gestapo.” A federal complaint reveals that White also warned, “Understand that if your ICE agents don’t show proof of identity and a signed warrant, we will kill them.”
On Thursday, a federal grand jury handed down an indictment against White, charging him with threatening to assault and murder a federal law enforcement officer, as well as making interstate communications with the intent to threaten bodily harm, according to a Justice Department press release.
The complaint details that White specifically targeted a Department of Homeland Security officer, posting the officer’s photograph online and threatening to shoot him. White allegedly remarked that the officer “needs to be tied up.”
Authorities linked multiple threatening statements to White, who hails from Jamestown. Following an investigation, he was taken into custody in July, although the indictment was not issued until this past Thursday.
Multiple statements in the complaint and press releases sent out by the DOJ and ICE officials have been linked to White, who is from Jamestown. He was arrested in July following an investigation but wasn’t indicted until Thursday.
“On April 30, HSI Buffalo personnel learned that an X account, believed to be operated by White, was publicly posting threats to federal immigration agents and administrators employed by the Department of Homeland Security,” an ICE release says. “On June 4, White voluntarily spoke with investigators and allowed them to extract the contents of his phone. Investigators recovered a number of threatening posts on X.”
White’s statements, according to the federal complaint, included claims that he will “die trying to fight for democracy and I will kill an ICE agent.” He said he was willing to engage in “civil war,” per the complaint.
“Lets play b—,” White allegedly wrote.
“Your agents are in danger if they don’t start showing identification and signed warrants,” he added, according to the complaint. “If the trump administration doesn’t have to follow the laws then neither do the American citizens, game on.”
White’s X account was still active as of Sunday, with his handle being @MatthewWhi17466, according to federal prosecutors. He has shared a GoFundMe that was launched to “secure legal support,” per the description.
“The actual content … has been misconstrued and manipulated,” the GoFundMe says. “No one should have to serve prison time for having a bad day and vocalizing intrusive thoughts.”
White was arraigned Thursday and released on conditions, the DOJ says.
