ASJA Condemns Arrest of Freelance Journalists Covering Anti-ICE Demonstration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: ASJA staff, asjaoffice@asja.org
New York, New York (Jan. 30, 2026) – The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) strongly condemns the arrest by federal agents of freelance journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort in connection with their reporting on a Jan. 18 demonstration at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, and joins a coalition of press-freedom and civil-liberties groups to publish a joint statement decrying these arrests.
Separately, ASJA today also signed onto a joint statement in defense of press freedom led by the Minnesota journalism community, including the Minnesota Star Tribune and Minnesota Public Radio.
Under the First Amendment, journalists have the right to observe, document, and report on matters of public concern without fear of retaliation.
“Lemon and Fort have repeatedly stated that they were present at the protest to report on it, not to participate in it,” ASJA President Darcy Lewis said. “This distinction matters because journalists routinely cover demonstrations and controversial gatherings as part of their duty to inform the public. Newsgathering is a protected activity.”
Lemon is a former CNN anchor who now works as an independent journalist with his own YouTube show. According to the New York Times, he is a long-time critic of President Trump dating back to this first term.
Fort is an Emmy-award winning freelance journalist and vice president of the Minnesota National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). On Friday morning, she shared on a live-streamed video on Facebook that federal agents had come to her home. “This is all stemming from the fact that I filmed a protest as a member of the media,” she said in the video.
On Jan. 23, ASJA joined a coalition of press freedom and civil-liberties groups to publish a joint statement decrying the inflammatory rhetoric of U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who singled out Lemon and announced an investigation and threat of legal action against him.
The coalition, led by the NABJ, includes Amnesty International USA, the Center for Journalism and Democracy, Committee to Protect Journalists, Freedom of the Press Foundation, GLAAD, and the Media and Democracy Project, as well as dozens of journalism associations.
ASJA, which has been the nation’s premier organization for professional freelance nonfiction writers since 1948, champions the First Amendment and rights of freelance writers. The organization has a particular focus on issues of national importance, including censorship, copyright, and legal or industry changes that prevent independent writers from making a living.
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For more information about the organization, contact ASJA staff, asjaoffice@asja.org.
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About ASJA
The American Society of Journalists and Authors is the nation’s premier organization of professional freelance nonfiction writers. ASJA members write books, journalism and content marketing and have met ASJA’s objective standards of professional achievement by publishing with national magazines, publishers and clients. As First Amendment and right-to-freelance advocates, ASJA stands up for writers’ rights and offers extensive networking and educational opportunities that benefit members and the freelance writing profession as a whole. ASJA believes in diversity and inclusion and actively works to attract members from all backgrounds and experience levels while continuing to emphasize excellence in nonfiction writing. Learn more at www.asja.org.