Progressive political streamer Hasan Piker said he was detained for hours by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after landing in Chicago from France on Sunday, May 11. Piker claimed agents repeatedly questioned him about his views on Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi militants.
Piker shares story on Twitch and X
Piker, a Turkish-American media personality with more than 2.8 million followers on the streaming platform Twitch, spoke about the experience both on his stream and on X. He said agents kept changing the wording of the same question, asking whether he supported Hamas.
“I kept saying a couple different things. One – I’m on the side of civilians. I want the endless bloodshed to end. I am a pacifist. I want wars to end,” Piker said Monday, May 12, during his livestream.
He believes the repetitive questioning was an effort to find a justification for detaining him permanently.
DHS responds to claims
A Department of Homeland Security official told NBC News that Piker’s account was “nothing but lying for likes.” DHS also denied that political views played any role in the inspection.
However, Piker pushed back, questioning how a lawful inspection involved discussions about President Donald Trump and his stance on Israel and Palestine. Piker is known for supporting Palestinian civilians and criticizing the Israeli government.
Other detentions raise concerns
In one case, Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese-born doctor with a valid H-1B visa, was deported despite a court order halting her removal. Customs officials allegedly found photos of Hezbollah leaders on her phone, which she said were taken for academic purposes. The agency also said she attended the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, a long-time leader of Hezbollah, while in Lebanon. Alawieh said that she follows Nasrallah as a religious figure in the Shia Muslim community.
Alawieh’s case and Piker’s have renewed concerns that travelers, especially from Middle Eastern backgrounds, are being scrutinized not based on threats but on political speech or perceived affiliations.
The U.S. State Department has justified revoking visas for support of what it has designated as terrorist organizations.
Groups like the ACLU have expressed alarm at what they see as increasing politicization of border inspections. They argue these actions risk violating First Amendment rights and could have a chilling effect on free speech.
Piker felt it was important to share what happened as a public figure.
