Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• ICE detains exiled Nicaraguan journalist Luis Galeano in Florida — Luis Galeano, a veteran Nicaraguan journalist who fled his country in 2018 after police raids and arrest warrants, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while driving for Lyft in Florida on Monday. Galeano has had a pending asylum application for approximately seven years, holds a work permit and social security number, and continues reporting critically on Nicaragua's Sandinista government online. As of Wednesday, he was held at Krome detention center in Miami with an immigration court date scheduled for October 2. His detention has drawn criticism from press freedom organizations and some US lawmakers, who note the contradiction of detaining a journalist persecuted by an authoritarian regime the US government simultaneously condemns.

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• Three Secret Service officials placed on leave amid misconduct probe — Three Secret Service officials, including communications director Anthony Guglielmi and two others in his department, were removed from their offices on Monday and placed on administrative leave. Their security clearances were suspended and work devices seized as part of an internal misconduct investigation reportedly involving the CIA and FBI. The probe is reportedly connected to FBI Director Kash Patel's effort to identify the source of a leak to media regarding Trump's clandestine plane swap on the tarmac in Turkey following the NATO summit last month.

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• State Department cancels visas of parents seeking birthright citizenship for children — A US embassy in North Africa canceled more than 100 visas held by parents accused of traveling to the US primarily so their children would be born American citizens. The action aligns with Trump's separate executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship, which is being challenged in court following a Supreme Court setback.
• Secretary of State designates foreign nationals deportable on foreign policy grounds — Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that a number of foreign nationals are deportable on foreign policy grounds, including a Cuban national linked to an influence campaign tied to Havana, Iranian nationals connected to Tehran's government, and a Kuwaiti national accused of voicing hostility toward the US president. The designations expand grounds for deportation beyond criminal conduct to include alleged foreign ties and political speech.
• State Department cancels 175,000 visas under Trump administration — The US Department of State announced it has revoked more than 175,000 visas since Trump returned to office, quadrupling the pace from Biden's final year. The department cited grounds including alleged visa violations, crimes, calls for violence, fraud, and national security concerns. However, revocations also targeted political speech, including a Turkish doctoral student whose visa was pulled after criticizing her university's Gaza stance, and foreign nationals who commented on a conservative activist's death. The department has not disclosed the categorical breakdown of revocations.
• State Department deports Laotian national despite gubernatorial pardon — Tou Lue Vang, a Laotian national, was deported last month despite having been pardoned weeks earlier by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for a 2005 conviction for sexually abusing a child. The case illustrates the State Department's disregard for state-level clemency and its assertion of unilateral deportation authority.
• State Department revokes visa of Turkish student for political speech on Gaza — Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, had her visa revoked after co-writing an opinion piece criticizing the university's stance on the war in Gaza. She was detained by immigration authorities, though a judge later dismissed the case against her. She has since moved back to Turkey. The case exemplifies the State Department's targeting of political speech as grounds for visa cancellation.
• State Department revokes visas of foreign nationals for comments on activist's death — The State Department canceled the visas of multiple foreign nationals who commented on the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September 2025, including one who said Kirk had "died too late." The department characterized such speech as incompatible with US national interests and a serious national security concern warranting immediate reconsideration of visa eligibility.
• State Department targets visa applicants based on social media and political views — A March 2025 State Department cable, obtained by the Guardian, ordered consular officers to expand screening of student visa applicants by vetting their social media activity and barring anyone deemed engaged in "terrorist activity"—a category critics interpret as targeting Palestinian-cause supporters. The pattern has continued into 2026, with applicants now required to affirm they have not experienced harm or fear returning home; answering affirmatively or declining to answer sharply increases denial odds, potentially filtering out abuse survivors, threatened journalists, and persecuted minorities.

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• Eight Prairieland detention center protesters sentenced to 30–100 years in prison on terrorism charges — U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor sentenced eight of nine protesters prosecuted following a July 4, 2025, protest against ICE at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, to sentences ranging from thirty to one hundred years in prison. The protesters, some of whom did not know each other and one of whom was not present at the protest, were charged as members of an antifa cell engaged in terrorism. All nine were convicted in March 2026 in what observers characterized as a test of the administration's power to use broad antiterrorism laws against protesters.
• Federal judges sentenced anti-ICE protesters to 30–100 years in prison — Federal judges sentenced a group of anti-ICE protesters convicted for their roles in a 2025 Texas demonstration to prison terms ranging from 30 to 100 years. One person received 30 years despite not being present at the protest. Another received 100 years after conviction for attempted murder and other charges following a police officer being shot and injured. The case marks the first to incorporate Trump's presidential declaration labeling "antifa" as a domestic terrorist organization.
• Anti-ICE Protesters Receive Harsh Sentences — Federal judges sentenced anti-ICE protesters in Texas to prison terms ranging from 30 to 100 years. The sentences are based on their involvement in a 2025 protest and are notably harsher than those given to Jan. 6 insurrectionists. The case is the first to apply Trump's declaration labeling "antifa" as a domestic terrorist organization.
• Eight Texas anti-ICE protesters sentenced to 50–100 years; ninth defendant to 30 years for possessing leftist materials — Eight activists who protested at the Prairieland ICE detention facility in Alvarado, Texas, on July 4, 2025, were sentenced on June 24, 2026, to between 50 and 100 years in prison on terrorism and other charges. A ninth defendant, Daniel Sanchez-Estrada, received 30 years for moving boxes of leftist zines and materials after a phone call from his imprisoned wife. Federal judges Mark Pittman (Trump appointee) and George W. Bush appointee Reed O'Connor stacked sentences across multiple convictions. First Amendment advocates and legal experts have condemned the sentences as unusually punitive and a chilling attack on protest and ideological expression.
• Nine Texas anti-ICE protesters sentenced to 50–100 years for terrorism charges following Fourth of July 2025 detention center protest — Nine activists were convicted of terrorism charges and sentenced to 50–100 years in prison following a July 4, 2025 protest at the Prairieland immigrant detention center in Alvarado, Texas. The group arrived to conduct a noise demonstration with fireworks; some vandalized property and slashed tires. When police arrived, activist Benjamin Song fired an AR-15, wounding officer Lt. Thomas Gross in the shoulder. Song received 100 years; five others received 50 years; one received 70 years; one received 30 years. The sentences far exceed those given for January 6 Capitol attackers and were widely characterized as a test of the Trump administration's crackdown on dissent.

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• Fifteen people charged with conspiracy to impede federal officers over response to Minnesota immigration enforcement — The U.S. Attorney for Minnesota announced charges against 15 people for conspiracy to impede or injure federal officers in response to a controversial immigration enforcement crackdown ("Operation Metro Surge") that killed two civilians. Prosecutors alleged the defendants were part of Minneapolis-based "antifa" groups that coordinated monitoring of ICE agents, set up blockades at federal buildings, and used encrypted communications. Twelve were arrested; one was already in custody; two remain at large. The charges come as the office has dropped 18 of 36 prior cases related to the crackdown.
• U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen charged fifteen people with conspiracy to impede federal immigration officers — U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Daniel Rosen announced charges against fifteen people with conspiracy to impede or injure federal officers over their behavior during a federal immigration crackdown in Minneapolis the previous year. The crackdown resulted in the deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Rosen alleged the defendants are part of two "antifa" groups that "violently oppose immigration law enforcement." At the press conference, prosecutors introduced a Facebook post from one accused person stating "We need to become ungovernable." Rosen stated the people were "charged not for what they said but what they did" but did not answer questions about whether law enforcement officers were injured.

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• Federal government charged six people in Illinois with conspiracy over ICE detention facility protest, later dropped charges — The federal government charged six people in Illinois with conspiracy over a protest at the Broadview detention facility. The government later dropped the charges amid claims of prosecutorial misconduct. One of the defendants, Kat Abughazaleh, noted on social media that the Minneapolis charges mirror the ones she faced, highlighting a pattern of federal conspiracy prosecutions against protesters opposing immigration enforcement.
• Federal prosecutors dropped 18 of 36 cases related to Minnesota immigration crackdown — The U.S. Attorney's office for Minnesota has dropped 18 of 36 cases filed against protesters and others in connection with "Operation Metro Surge." One dropped case involved a judge calling a charging document a "false affidavit." Despite this track record of failed prosecutions, the office announced 15 new conspiracy charges against protesters, with the U.S. Attorney asserting "the evidence will prove it all out."
• Nearly 40 people, including journalists, charged over protest at St. Paul church; local prosecutors declined to charge — Nearly 40 people, including journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, face federal charges over a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where a pastor reportedly worked as an ICE official. Local prosecutors declined to charge the protesters, but the federal government proceeded with charges, demonstrating a divergence between local and federal prosecutorial decisions on the same conduct.
• Trump administration categorized "antifa" as domestic terror organization — The Trump administration, in a prior action referenced in the article, categorized "antifa" (antifascist activism) as a "domestic terror organization." The article notes this occurred in fall 2025. The categorization is now being invoked in prosecutions of protesters opposing immigration enforcement, with prosecutors using the label to describe defendants' alleged affiliations without defining what "antifa" constitutes.
• Federal prosecutors dropped or declined to prosecute majority of immigration enforcement assault cases — Federal prosecutors in Minnesota have dropped eighteen of thirty-six cases charging people with assaulting or impeding immigration agents brought in December and January, and have entered nonprosecution agreements in eleven additional cases. Magistrate Judge David Schultz previously called one of the prosecutors' charging documents a "false affidavit" in April. The pattern of dropped and declined prosecutions suggests significant evidentiary or legal problems with the original charges.

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• Trump administration categorized "antifa" as domestic terror organization — The Trump administration, in a prior action referenced in the article, categorized "antifa" (antifascist activism) as a "domestic terror organization." The article notes this occurred in fall 2025. The categorization is now being invoked in prosecutions of protesters opposing immigration enforcement, with prosecutors using the label to describe defendants' alleged affiliations without defining what "antifa" constitutes.

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• Federal indictment unsealed against eight pro-Palestinian activists for alleged intimidation campaign — Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment against eight pro-Palestinian activists accused of conspiring to run a criminal intimidation campaign against University of Michigan officials to force divestment from Israel-linked companies. The indictment describes vandalism, fake corpses placed on a board member's lawn, spray-painted anti-Israel messages at the president's home, and use of social media to broadcast threats. Six defendants made initial appearances in federal court in Detroit on Wednesday; one was arrested in Wisconsin and one remained at large.

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• Federal jury convicts three ICE protesters, including army veteran, on felony conspiracy charges — A federal jury in Spokane, Washington, found three protesters—including US Army Sergeant Bajun Mavalwalla—guilty of felony conspiracy charges for their participation in a June 2025 protest against ICE. The defendants face up to six years in prison and $250,000 fines. Legal experts and local officials have characterized the prosecution as a serious escalation in attacks on First Amendment rights. The acting US attorney for eastern Washington resigned rather than sign the indictment, citing lack of injury to officers or protesters.

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• ICE pepper-sprays and tasers protesters outside Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in Newark — On the evening of May 27, 2026, federal ICE officers deployed pepper spray and tasers against protesters gathered outside Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, where detainees were conducting a hunger and labor strike on their fifth day. Officers chased protesters across streets and onto train tracks, tasering at least one individual who was then carried into the facility. At least seven journalists were sprayed. The confrontation followed a day in which ICE had pepper-sprayed U.S. Senator Andy Kim during his attempt to enter the facility. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin denied the strike was occurring and accused Democratic lawmakers of spreading "smears."

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• Rep. Jamie Raskin questioned on heated Democratic rhetoric; CNN host suggests Democrats bear responsibility for shooting. — Rep. Jamie Raskin appeared on CNN where host Dana Bash asked: "You and your fellow Democrats have used some heated rhetoric against the president. Do you think twice about that when something like that happens?" When Raskin asked what rhetoric she was referring to, Bash responded: "That he's terrible for this country and so on and so forth." The exchange suggested that Democratic criticism of the President bore responsibility for the shooting.
• Trump administration officials and Republican lawmakers blamed Democrats for political violence — Multiple Trump administration officials and Republican members of Congress made public statements blaming Democrats and Democratic rhetoric for inspiring political violence and assassination attempts against Trump. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that "the entire Democrat Party has made their pitch to voters across the country that Trump poses an existential threat to democracy" and that "the left-wing cult of hatred against the president... has gotten multiple people hurt and killed." Senator Rick Scott claimed "Democrats want Trump and Republicans murdered all across this country." Representative Scott Perry attributed violence to "rhetoric from the left, the Democrat Party in particular, that calls Trump a threat to democracy."

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• Nine activists convicted on terrorism charges in Texas ICE protest case — Nine activists were convicted in Texas federal court on terrorism and related charges stemming from a March 2025 protest outside an ICE facility near Fort Worth. Eight were convicted of riot, explosives, and material support to terrorists; one (Benjamin Song) was convicted of attempted murder after shooting a police officer; a ninth was convicted for moving zines days after the protest. The Trump administration framed the verdict as vindication of its campaign against "antifa," though legal experts and the trial judge noted the charges had no organizational nexus and the terrorism label was legally irrelevant to the convictions.

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• Trump suggests Democratic lawmakers' criticism of military orders is seditious and punishable by death — Trump suggested that Democratic lawmakers' comments questioning unlawful military orders constitute "seditious behavior, punishable by death." Ninety-three percent of surveyed scholars rated this statement as a threat to democracy, viewing it as an attempt to criminalize political speech and dissent.

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• Conspiracy charges filed against anti-ICE protesters in multiple jurisdictions — Following the Spokane protest, federal prosecutors filed conspiracy charges against demonstrators in Chicago and investigated Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for the same alleged crime. Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were also charged with conspiracy to violate religious freedom stemming from coverage of a protest inside a Minnesota church. Both journalists have pleaded not guilty and await trial. Governor Walz condemned the probe as an "authoritarian tactic."

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• Nine anti-ICE protesters convicted on terrorism support charges in Texas — Nine protesters were found guilty of providing material support to terrorists and related charges following a July 4, 2025 demonstration at Prairieland detention center near Fort Worth. Prosecutors alleged the defendants were part of an antifa cell and coordinated an ambush on law enforcement; the defendants maintained they planned a peaceful protest and brought firearms for self-defense. The case marked the first federal prosecution alleging individuals were part of an antifa terrorist cell. Sentencing ranges from 10 to life in prison.

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• Kristi Noem refuses to retract "domestic terrorist" claim about unarmed protesters — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appeared before Congress on March 3, 2026, and refused to retract her statements labeling two unarmed protesters killed by ICE and CBP officers as "domestic terrorists." Senator Dick Durbin challenged her to withdraw the claim, noting that ICE and CBP officials had testified they did not provide information supporting the terrorism allegation. Noem cited "reports from the ground" but offered no evidence.
• Kristi Noem refuses to retract false statements calling killed Minnesotans "domestic terrorists" at Senate oversight hearing — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 3 and refused to retract her characterization of two U.S. citizens killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis as "domestic terrorists." Senator Dick Durbin pressed Noem to acknowledge the false accusation against Renee Good and Alex Pretti, but she deflected, citing "chaotic" reports from agents at the scene. The hearing also addressed concerns about arrest quotas, a $220 million advertising contract awarded to a firm run by Noem's former spokesperson, and inspector general complaints of obstruction.

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• Independent journalist Brixton Hughes arrested in connection with Minnesota church protest — Brixton Hughes, identified as an independent journalist, was arrested on Friday morning in connection with the January 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul. Hughes posted on Facebook "Feds at my door" following the arrest. Hughes was among 25 people arrested as part of the DOJ's expanded prosecution of protest participants. Two other journalists, Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, were previously charged over the same protest, though they maintained they were covering it as reporters rather than participating.

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• Rep. Al Green removed from House chamber for holding protest sign during SOTU — Rep. Al Green of Texas stood and held up a sign reading "Black People Aren't Apes" during the State of the Union address and was escorted out by the Sergeant at Arms. Multiple Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Markwayne Mullin, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and Rep. Troy Nehls, physically attempted to grab and pull the sign from Green's hands. The sign was a direct response to a video Trump had shared on social media earlier in February depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. This was the second consecutive year Green had been removed during a Trump address to Congress.
• Rep. Al Green ejected from State of the Union for protest sign — During Trump's State of the Union address on February 24, Democratic Rep. Al Green was removed from the chamber for holding a sign reading "BLACK PEOPLE AREN'T APES" in protest of Trump's remarks. The ejection occurred as Trump made false claims about election fraud and border security.
• Al Green ejected from State of the Union for holding protest sign — During President Trump's State of the Union address on February 25, 2026, Texas Democratic Congressman Al Green was removed from the House chamber by Speaker Mike Johnson after holding a sign reading "Black people aren't apes!" — a reference to Trump sharing racist video depictions of Barack and Michelle Obama. Green was escorted out as Republican representatives attempted to block the sign from cameras. This marked the second consecutive year Green has been ejected from the annual event.
• Representative Al Green escorted out of State of the Union for protest sign — Representative Al Green (D-TX) was escorted out of the State of the Union address after holding up a sign reading "BLACK PEOPLE AREN'T APES" in reference to Trump's posting of an image depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. The removal occurred during the address.
• Representative Al Green physically removed from State of the Union after displaying sign — During the State of the Union, Rep. Al Green displayed a sign responding to a video the President had shared depicting the Obamas as primates. Multiple lawmakers attempted to seize the sign from his hands, and Green was physically removed from the chamber. The sign conveyed a message affirming basic human dignity and stating that Black people are not apes.
• Representative Al Green escorted out during State of the Union — Representative Al Green was escorted out of the State of the Union address after holding up a sign that read "BLACK PEOPLE AREN’T APES," referencing President Trump's past derogatory comments about the Obamas. This incident highlighted tensions and protests against Trump's rhetoric during the event.

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• Don Lemon arraigned on federal civil rights charges related to Minnesota church protest coverage — Former CNN host and independent journalist Don Lemon pleaded not guilty in federal court in St. Paul, Minnesota, to charges of conspiracy and interfering with congregants' constitutional rights to freely exercise religion. Lemon was arrested while covering a January 18 anti-ICE protest at a Southern Baptist church. His attorney raised First Amendment issues and requested return of Lemon's phone, seized during arrest. Four other defendants, including civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, also pleaded not guilty. Nine people total have been charged under the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

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• Federal agents arrested protesters and journalists; White House mocked arrested protester with digitally altered photo — During the Minnesota ICE surge, federal agents arrested protesters and journalists documenting the operations. Following at least one arrest, the White House created and circulated a digitally altered photograph mocking the arrested protester. The action represents use of government resources to ridicule and intimidate dissent.

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• Three women arrested in Los Angeles for livestreaming ICE agent pursuit and posting address — Federal law enforcement arrested three women in Los Angeles for allegedly livestreaming their pursuit of an ICE agent to his home and posting his address online. The women were charged with publicly disclosing the personal information of a federal agent under a statute requiring prosecutors to prove intent to threaten, intimidate, or incite violence. The women have pleaded not guilty and are expected to argue they were simply identifying a taxpayer-funded state employee.

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• FBI Director Kash Patel launches investigation into Signal group chats used by protesters — FBI Director Kash Patel announced on January 26 that he launched an investigation into Signal group chats used by protesters in Minnesota to share information about federal immigration agents, including their locations and license plate numbers. The move targets legally obtained information and the act of recording law enforcement officials, both protected by the First Amendment.
• Justice Department appeals to Eighth Circuit after judge declines to issue arrest warrants for CNN anchor and protesters — Federal prosecutors sought Chief Judge Schiltz's assistance in arresting former CNN anchor Don Lemon and others linked to an anti-ICE church protest. After Schiltz declined to overturn a magistrate's denial of arrest warrants, the Justice Department appealed directly to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. The circuit court rejected the government's request, prompting Schiltz to write letters criticizing the Justice Department's approach and highlighting the flood of "illegal" detention cases overwhelming Minnesota courts.
• FBI director announced investigation of Signal chats of Minneapolis observers — FBI Director Kash Patel told a right-wing podcaster that the FBI will investigate Signal chats of those organized in Minneapolis to observe and record federal agents, to determine if they endangered federal agents. Podcaster Benny Johnson suggested the chats were "coordinated infrastructure" and asked the FBI to "take a crack at trying to get rid of this infrastructure the way they approach the mob or cartels or other terrorist networks."
• TikTok suppresses anti-ICE videos following Oracle acquisition — Following TikTok's acquisition by an Oracle-led consortium in late January 2026, users reported inability to upload videos critical of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Law professor Stephen Vladeck reported his anti-ICE video remained "under review" for nine hours; comedian Megan Stalter and California State Sen. Scott Wiener also reported suppression. TikTok attributed the issue to a data center outage, but the timing coincided with Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison's known Trump loyalty, raising concerns about state influence over the platform's content moderation.
• Federal agents arrested journalist Don Lemon on FACE Act and civil rights conspiracy charges — More than two dozen federal agents arrested independent journalist Don Lemon late on January 29, charging him with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and conspiring to hurt the exercise of rights—a Reconstruction-era law originally used against the Ku Klux Klan. Lemon had filmed protesters disrupting a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 18 at a white nationalist church with ties to the Trump administration. A magistrate judge and federal judge had both refused to issue warrants; the administration then sought indictment via federal grand jury. Lemon stated he would plead not guilty and continue his journalism.
• Federal agents arrest Don Lemon and three journalists — On January 29, federal agents arrested Don Lemon and three other journalists in relation to their coverage of an anti-ICE protest inside a St. Paul, Minnesota church. Lemon has been charged with conspiring to deprive others of their civil rights and violating the FACE Act by allegedly obstructing access to a house of worship. The arrests come one week after a federal magistrate judge rejected the Justice Department's initial request to bring charges. Lemon's lawyer Abbe Lowell called the move an "unprecedented attack on the First Amendment" and a "transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration."
• Federal magistrate and district judge refused to issue arrest warrants for Don Lemon — A federal magistrate judge refused to issue a warrant for Don Lemon and his producer, stating prosecutors had not shown evidence justifying arrest. When the administration asked a federal judge to overturn that decision, the judge also refused, calling the request "unprecedented." The administration then escalated the case to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which also refused to intervene.
• DOJ charges Don Lemon and three others with civil rights crimes related to Minnesota church protest — The Department of Justice charged former CNN anchor Don Lemon and three others with federal civil rights crimes, alleging they interfered with religious freedom at a church in Minnesota earlier in January. Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles on Thursday while covering the Grammy Awards and released Friday. The charges also invoked the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. A federal magistrate judge had previously declined to sign an arrest warrant for Lemon, but the DOJ proceeded with charges anyway. The White House celebrated the arrest on social media.
• Don Lemon arrested on charges connected to Minnesota church protest — Ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon, 59, was arrested on charges related to a Minnesota church protest. Lemon, who was terminated by CNN in 2023 following allegations of problematic behavior toward female colleagues and controversial on-air remarks, has since worked as an independent journalist on YouTube. The arrest marks a significant development in his career trajectory following his departure from mainstream media.
• Federal agents arrest journalist Georgia Fort for covering ICE protest at Minnesota church — Georgia Fort, an independent Minnesota journalist, was arrested at her home on January 30 after covering a January 18 protest at St. Paul's Cities church, where a pastor reportedly works for ICE. Fort was charged alongside Don Lemon under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) and conspiracy statutes—charges experts call unprecedented against journalists. The DOJ pursued the case aggressively after a federal judge and appeals court initially refused to charge the journalists; a grand jury eventually secured an indictment. Fort livestreamed her arrest and has since been unable to cover related stories due to legal and safety concerns.
• Federal agents conduct search of Fort's home and question her children — When federal agents arrested Georgia Fort at her home on January 30, approximately two dozen agents remained outside for hours after her arrest. As Fort's family attempted to leave, agents stopped them in the driveway and questioned her children about whether they possessed her laptop or cellphone. Fort's daughters, aged 17, 8, and 7, were terrified by the encounter. The youngest daughter now discusses ICE daily; the oldest has experienced nightmares. Fort stated agents could have waited until children left for school and questioned why so many agents were needed to arrest a journalist.
• Journalist Don Lemon arrested by Trump administration after covering anti-ICE protest — Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested on January 30, 2026, by federal agents at a Los Angeles hotel while covering the Grammy Awards. The Trump administration obtained a federal grand jury indictment against Lemon, independent journalist Georgia Fort, and others on charges of conspiracy and interfering with worshippers' constitutional rights during an anti-immigration enforcement protest at a Minnesota church on January 18. A federal magistrate judge had previously refused to sign an arrest warrant for Lemon. On February 8, Lemon spoke publicly about the arrest, characterizing it as an attack on press freedom and warning that democracy becomes "hollow" when the First Amendment is threatened.
• Federal agents arrested journalist Georgia Fort and two protest participants — Federal agents arrested independent journalist Georgia Fort of Minnesota, along with two protest participants, Trahern Jeen Crews and Jamael Lydell Lundy, in connection with the January 18 church protest in St. Paul. All four people arrested in the past 24 hours are Black.
• Don Lemon arrested on federal civil rights charges — Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested by federal authorities and charged with federal civil rights crimes in connection with a protest at a Minnesota church service earlier in January. The Department of Homeland Security stated Lemon was charged with conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshipers. His attorney Abbe Lowell stated Lemon's "constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done" and characterized the arrest as "an unprecedented attack on the first amendment." Career DOJ prosecutors in Minnesota and Louisiana refused to be involved in charging Lemon and other journalists who covered the Minneapolis church protests, believing the evidence does not support the charges.

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• ICE agent labeled legal observer as domestic terrorist for recording — An ICE agent in Maine photographed a legal observer's car and, when questioned about why he was taking her information, responded that she was being added to a database and "considered a domestic terrorist." The agent appeared to be referencing Trump's September 25, 2025, memo NSPM-7, which describes opposition to the administration's policies—protected by the First Amendment—as "domestic terrorism."

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• Attorney General Bondi announced arrests of church protest organizers — Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrest of Nekima Levy Armstrong, whom she characterized as having "allegedly played a key role in organizing the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul." Bondi later announced a second arrest of Chauntyll Louisa Allen. Bondi stated the arrests were made "at my direction" and emphasized that the administration does not tolerate "attacks on places of worship."
• DOJ filed criminal complaints against church protest participants — The Department of Justice filed criminal complaints against seven protesters who entered St. Paul's Cities Church in Minnesota and interrupted a service. Arrests were made throughout the day. The DOJ also attempted to charge journalist Don Lemon, but a federal magistrate judge refused to sign the complaint, requiring the DOJ to pursue a grand jury indictment if it wishes to proceed against Lemon.
• Three arrested for anti-ICE protest at Minnesota church — Three people—Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, and William Kelly—were arrested on Thursday in connection with a protest at Cities church in St Paul, Minnesota on Sunday. Demonstrators had alleged that pastor David Easterwood was the acting field director of the St Paul ICE office. Armstrong was charged under a statute criminalizing conspiracy to block someone from exercising civil rights. The White House and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem celebrated the arrest on social media.

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• DOJ Civil Rights Division opened investigation into church protest for potential FACE Act violations. — DOJ Civil Rights Division Chief Harmeet Dhillon announced an investigation into potential violations of the federal FACE Act (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act) by protesters who disrupted a Sunday service at Cities Church in Minneapolis to protest a pastor they claimed works for ICE. Dhillon stated that houses of worship are protected spaces and that the First Amendment does not protect disrupting a prayer service. She indicated the investigation will determine how many people were involved and how many charges will be brought.
• Harmeet Dhillon announced potential prosecution under Ku Klux Klan Act. — DOJ Civil Rights Division Chief Harmeet Dhillon stated on Benny Johnson's podcast that she is looking at prosecuting Don Lemon and the church protesters under the Ku Klux Klan Act, which makes it illegal to terrorize and violate citizens' civil rights. She warned that "the fullest force of the federal govt is going to come down and prevent this from happening and put people away for a long time." She also characterized protesters as "godless people" unfamiliar with houses of worship.
• DOJ Assistant Attorney General threatens Black journalist with KKK Act prosecution — On MLK Day, Justice Department Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon threatened to invoke the Ku Klux Klan Act to bring conspiracy charges against Black journalist Don Lemon after he covered an anti-ICE protest inside a St. Paul, Minnesota church. Later in the week, a federal magistrate judge rejected the DOJ's initial attempt to bring charges against Lemon.
• Justice Department threatens Black journalist with KKK Act conspiracy charge on MLK Day — Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department's Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, threatened to invoke the Ku Klux Klan Act to bring a conspiracy charge against Black journalist Don Lemon after he covered an anti-ICE protest inside a St. Paul church on MLK Day. A federal magistrate judge later rejected the Justice Department's initial attempt to bring charges against Lemon.