Another independent journalist has been taken into federal custody.
Georgia Fort, an award-winning journalist and vice president of the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), reported that federal agents appeared at the doorstep of her home last night. Following the advice of her attorney, Fort surrendered to the agents and was taken into custody
“I wanted to alert the public that agents are at my door right now. They’re saying that they were able to go before a grand jury sometime, I guess, in the last 24 hours, and that they have a warrant for my arrest. I’ve talked to my attorney, and I’m being advised to go with them,” Fort told her followers. “My children are here. They are impacted by this.”
“This is all stemming from the fact that I filmed a protest as a member of the media. We are supposed to have our constitutional right, the freedom to film, to be a member of the press. I don’t feel like I have my First Amendment right as a member of the press, because now federal agents are at my door, arresting me for filming the church protest a few weeks ago,” she continued.
Another video shows a family member of the Emmy-winning journalist speaking to agents through what appears to be a window, during which she informs the DEA police officers that there are children in the home. Noting how federal officers “have not been really friendly in the community,” the journalist noted how “aggressive” their presence was as agents circled the outside of her home.
“This is a little aggressive to just serve a warrant,” she’s heard telling the agent, repeatedly requesting to see the warrant.
Fort is the second member of the press to be taken into federal custody. As previously reported by theGrio, Don Lemon was taken into custody in Los Angeles on Thursday night. Both Fort and Lemon’s arrests stem from their on-the-ground coverage of a peaceful anti-ICE protest outside of Minneapolis’ Cities Church over its lead pastor’s alleged ICE ties. Following the protest, the Department of Justice arrested two Black activists connected to a church protest against ICE, which Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described as “gross abuse of power.”
The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable,” Lemon’s attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement. “Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention, and resources to this arrest, and that is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case.”
“As a member of the press, I filmed the church protest a few weeks ago, and now I’m being arrested for that,” Fort explained in the video captured moments before her arrest. “It’s hard to understand how we have constitutional rights, when you can just be arrested for being a member of the press.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that these arrests followed her directives on X.
“My attorney has spoken with them. I did send a relative outside to talk to them. They’re showing some type of documentation. Apparently, they got an indictment from a grand jury. I knew that I was on a defendant’s list. I did not publish it because it was under seal, and so we’ve done everything that we can to try and abide by the advice of our attorneys.”
Details about the charges Fort and Lemon face remain unknown.
