A New York man has been indicted on federal charges after allegedly posting violent threats online against a Department of Homeland Security employee, his children, and other U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, according to the Justice Department.
Federal prosecutors say 43-year-old Matthew White of Jamestown used social media to threaten to assault and murder a federal law enforcement officer and the officer’s family. In one post cited in court records, White allegedly wrote, “I can’t wait to put a bullet into this guy’s brain, but first his children.”
According to a federal complaint, White also made broader threats against immigration agents, including posts that read, “Kill them all, ICE is the new age gestapo,” and warnings that ICE agents would be killed if they did not show identification and a signed warrant.
A federal grand jury indicted White on Thursday on charges of threatening to assault and murder a federal law enforcement officer and interstate communication with a threat to injure, the DOJ said in a press release.
Prosecutors allege that White specifically targeted a DHS officer by posting the officer’s photo online along with violent statements. He also allegedly wrote that the officer “needs to be tied up,” according to the complaint.
ICE officials said Homeland Security Investigations personnel in Buffalo became aware of the posts on April 30, after an X account believed to belong to White began publicly issuing threats against DHS immigration agents and administrators. Investigators say White voluntarily spoke with authorities on June 4 and allowed them to extract data from his phone, where they recovered multiple threatening posts.
Court records allege that White claimed he would “die trying to fight for democracy” and said he would kill an ICE agent, adding that he was willing to engage in a “civil war.” Other posts warned, “Your agents are in danger if they don’t start showing identification and signed warrants,” and declared, “Game on.”
White was arrested in July following the investigation but was not indicted until this week. Prosecutors noted that his X account remained active as of Sunday and that he had shared a GoFundMe campaign seeking legal support. The fundraiser claims his statements were “misconstrued and manipulated” and describes them as “intrusive thoughts.”
White was arraigned on Thursday and released under conditions, according to the Justice Department.
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