The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is requesting a meeting with officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to discuss several incidents in which federal agents have arrested and used force against journalists.
“The disturbing detentions, arrests, and physical attacks that we have seen in recent weeks targeting journalists covering the actions of federal law enforcement officers raise serious First Amendment concerns, especially at a time when there is intense public interest in how the government is applying our nation’s immigration laws,” Reporters Committee Vice President of Policy Gabe Rottman said in a statement. “We urge the Department of Homeland Security to take immediate steps to provide guidance for its agents in the field on the First Amendment and legal rights of journalists, and to adopt an arrest avoidance policy in line with best practices recognized by the Department of Justice.”
On Friday, the Reporters Committee sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem highlighting several troubling encounters between DHS officers and journalists in New York and Illinois.
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