Court: U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota

Date Filed: Aug. 12, 2026

Background: Following their coverage of an immigration enforcement protest at a Minnesota church in January 2026, independent journalists Georgia Fort and Don Lemon were arrested by federal authorities and criminally charged with conspiring to violate a federal law protecting the right of religious freedom at a place of worship.

In August 2026, the journalists filed motions asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota to dismiss the charges, arguing, among other things, that the charges violate the First Amendment and are part of a vindictive prosecution by the Trump administration.

Our Position: In a friend-of-the-court brief joined by 45 news media organizations, the Reporters Committee urges the district court to grant the journalists’ motions to throw out the charges.

• Journalists intending to cover a story lack the specific intent to deprive individuals of a clearly defined right under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and Section 241 and therefore cannot be held criminally liable.

• If the court allows the government’s case to move forward, the FACE Act and Section 241 could be used to target journalists asking questions in public spaces, rendering the statutes unconstitutionally vague and overbroad.

Quote: “This is a case of clear government overreach, with the Justice Department attempting to deploy two highly potent civil rights laws to target journalists,” Reporters Committee President Bruce D. Brown said in a statement. “On-the-ground news coverage is essential to the public’s ability to stay informed about important issues, and federal prosecutors cannot be allowed to misuse the law to punish such vital reporting.”

Related: In May 2026, the Reporters Committee sued the Trump administration for records that could help the public better understand whether government officials followed federal law and internal U.S. Justice Department guidelines when arresting Fort, Lemon, and another independent journalist, Shane Bollman, following their coverage of the protest.