Hasan Piker, the popular online streamer, YouTuber and left-wing political commentator, told his followers during a live broadcast on Monday (May 12) that he was stopped and questioned for hours about his political beliefs by US Customs and Border Protection after returning to the United States from France.

Piker, who was born in the US, said he was travelling through Global Entry – a Customs and Border Protection programme that expedites clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travellers – when an agent asked him to step aside. According to Piker, he was then taken to what he described as a “detention centre” by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent and questioned about his job, the content of his streams, and whether he had discussed the war in Gaza or President Donald Trump.

“It’s very obvious they knew who I was,” Piker said during the stream. Although the conversation remained “cordial,” he believed the agents were “trying to find anything they could use to basically detain me permanently.” He said they repeatedly asked him about his views on, and any potential connections to, Hamas, the Houthis and Hezbollah.

Throughout the questioning, Piker said he was transparent, reiterating that he is a “pacifist” who wants all wars to end.

Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, has responded to Hasan’s claims that he was targeted for his political beliefs, and has called them baseless: “This is nothing but lying for likes… claims that his political beliefs triggered the inspection are baseless. Our officers are following the law, not agendas.”