(NEW YORK)— As the Trump administration announces plans to further escalate the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents across the United States, the Journalist Assistance Network (JAN) urges authorities today respect the First Amendment rights of journalists covering enforcement, protests, and civil unrest.
Journalists reporting on ICE activity throughout the country – particularly in communities in Minnesota, New York, Oregon, and Illinois – have cited direct targeting by local and federal law enforcement in recent months. This includes the use of excessive force by police on photojournalists covering an ICE arrest in St. Paul, Minnesota; ICE agents physically assaulting journalists covering immigration hearings in New York City; and the use of chemical weapons and projectiles against journalists covering demonstrations in Chicago and Portland, Oregon. Just this week, JAN members have received anecdotal reports of journalists enduring repeated gassing and pepper-spraying at protests in Minneapolis.
Just as journalists have a duty to report breaking news and hold authority to account, law enforcement has a responsibility to allow journalists to report safely. The protection of journalists is essential to upholding a democratic society and documenting history; we call on authorities and civilians alike to respect the media’s right to cover these events fully and accurately, without fear of retaliation.
The JAN, formed in May 2025, is a network of international press freedom organizations, including the International Women’s Media Foundation, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters’ Committee for Freedom of the Press, Freedom of the Press Foundation, and PEN America. Its members work together to coordinate emergently needed resources for U.S. journalists facing physical, digital, and legal safety threats.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], 201-247-5057