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Hasan Piker, a popular Turkish American political commentator known for criticizing President Donald Trump, says he was detained and interrogated by federal agents after landing at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport over the weekend.

Piker, who streams to nearly 3 million followers on Twitch under the handle HasanAbi, detailed the experience Monday in a 40-minute video, saying he was held for hours and questioned about his opinions on Trump and Hamas. The incident took place Sunday after a flight from Paris.

Why was Hasan Piker detained at the airport?

The backstory:

Piker, 33, said he was detained despite being a U.S.-born citizen and enrolled in Global Entry, a federal program meant to expedite customs clearance for low-risk travelers. "The government is now officially willing and able to intimidate you for your speech," he said, calling it a violation of First Amendment rights.

The online broadcaster, who frequently voices criticism of U.S. foreign policy, Israel, and the war in Gaza, suggested the detention was politically motivated. "The goal here is to put fear into people’s hearts, to have a chilling effect on speech," he said during the livestream.

What are officials saying about it?

The other side:

The Department of Homeland Security denied that politics played any role. "This is nothing but lying for likes," said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. "Claims that his political beliefs triggered the inspection are baseless. Once his inspection was complete, he was promptly released."

Hasan Piker speaks onstage during Politicon 2018 at Los Angeles Convention Center on October 20, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Politicon.)

Federal officials said the questioning was "routine and lawful," though they did not provide further details on what prompted it or what was asked during the interview.

Is this part of a broader trend?

Big picture view:

The incident comes amid rising concern over Trump’s approach to dissent, especially following crackdowns on pro-Palestinian student protests and controversial immigration enforcement tactics. Critics say the administration is increasingly using state power to intimidate activists and critics.

Last month, a Palestinian student protest leader was arrested during what he believed was an interview for citizenship. Similar episodes have involved U.S. citizens mistakenly caught in immigration sweeps.

What they're saying:

Piker, who lives in Los Angeles and was raised in Turkey, says he isn’t backing down. "I’m not intimidated," he said in his video. "I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing." He has more than 1.6 million YouTube subscribers and remains one of the most prominent progressive voices in online political commentary.