Twitch streamer Hasan Piker was detained and interrogated at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport over his views on U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel.
The popular streamer, who is known for his progressive political commentary, said he was questioned for around two hours after his flight arrived from Paris on Sunday.
Piker has nearly 3 million followers on Twitch under the name HasanAbi and is a U.S. citizen.
Highlights
- Hasan Piker, a U.S. citizen with nearly 3 million Twitch followers, was detained and interrogated for two hours at Chicago Airport over his political views on Trump and Israel.
- Piker was enrolled in the Global Entry program, which is designed to expedite customs for pre-approved and low-risk travelers.
- Piker believes the interrogation was meant to intimidate him and reflects broader targeting of government critics and activists.
Hasan Piker was detained and interrogated at Chicago Airport for his views on Trump and Israel
Image credits: Faraone/Getty Images
He was also enrolled in the Global Entry program, which is designed to expedite customs for pre-approved and low-risk travelers.
Piker, who was raised in Turkey, recounted the incident in a 40-minute live-stream on Monday.
He said he was taken to a “hostile” detention room that had fluorescent lightbulbs, with two metal stools “planted into the ground.”
Piker claimed the officers knew exactly who he was and they questioned him about his political views, particularly regarding Trump, Hamas, and U.S. foreign policy.
Piker has been a vocal critic of Trump and U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Despite repeatedly stating that he opposed violence and supported peace efforts, Piker claims officers asked him leading questions in an attempt to link him to terrorist organizations.
“He just kept asking me over and over again, like Hamas, Houthis, all this s---, trying to be like: ‘Oh, do you support them? Do you like them? Like, what do you think about them?’” Piker recounted.
“They literally straight-up tried to get something out of me that I think they could use to basically detain me permanently, which is insane. Because there is no direct connection or direct involvement,” he added.
Piker has expressed frustration with the treatment and said he believes officers wanted to “put the fear of God” into him.
Although he described the interview as “cordial,” he said he felt the first part of the exchange was a “fact-finding” mission.
While the second part had more “actionable questions.”
He was asked if he had interviewed a member of Yemen's Houthi Rebel group – a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Piker said the person he interviewed was not a Houthi, just a regular Yemeni citizen.
Piker claims the agent asked him "leading" questions about his thoughts on Hamas
The agent interviewing him, an Iraqi-American man Piker described as “sympathetic,” recognised the last name of the interviewee as a Sunni Muslim last name – confirming that he may not have been a Houthi.
Piker said the experience reflected a broader trend where activists and critics of the U.S. government are increasingly targeted.
“They are actively trying to blur the boundaries between what constitutes material support to try to make it seem as though - things that would be protected under First Amendment would be considered material support.
“Expressing any sort of opinion is considered material support,” he said.
Piker was released after questioning and neither his phone nor laptop was searched.
The U.S. government has faced increasing scrutiny over its handling of freedom of speech
Image credits: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has denied any political motivations behind the questioning.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described the inspection as “routine and lawful.”
“Our officers are following the law, not agendas,” McLaughlin said in a statement Monday.
“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.”
The DHS did not provide details on what triggered the extended interrogation.
The incident highlights growing concerns about the U.S. government’s approach to dissent, particularly in relation to individuals with pro-Palestinian views or those critical of U.S. policies.
Similar cases, including the detention of pro-Palestinian activists, have sparked debates about freedom of speech.