A widely followed Turkish American streamer, known for his criticism of President Donald Trump, was detained and questioned at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport after arriving from Paris.
Hasan Piker, a prominent figure on Twitch with 2.8 million followers, shared his ordeal online, detailing how he was interrogated for several hours despite being a U.S. citizen and a participant in Global Entry, a program designed for swift passage through customs and passport checks for low-risk travelers.
Piker suspects his detention was due to his outspoken views. He noted that during questioning, Customs and Border Protection officers inquired about his opinions on Trump and Hamas. Piker is known for his liberal commentary, often criticizing Israel and addressing the conflict 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 immediately respond Tuesday to requests for comment.
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.
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“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. “Once his inspection was complete, he was promptly released.”
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, spoke at the University of Chicago on Tuesday. 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.”
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