Georgia Fort arrested after documenting an anti-ICE protest raises alarms about press freedom and the criminalization of independent journalists.
A Black independent journalist is in federal custody after doing what journalists are supposed to do: record and report what happened.
Early Friday morning, federal agents showed up at the home of Georgia Fort, a Minnesota-based journalist, and arrested her in connection to her coverage of an anti-ICE protest at Cities Church in St. Paul. The arrest happened before sunrise, with children inside the house — and it was livestreamed in real time.
BREAKING: A new video is released by Georgia Fort of the moment when Trump’s agents showed up at her door to arrest her. Fort is an independent Twin Cities journalist. She was arrested filming and reporting on a protest at a St. Paul church. Fort had already been arrested once… pic.twitter.com/8JWTo41Yf8
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) January 30, 2026
Fort made it clear on camera what she believed was happening.
“Agents are at my door right now… this is all stemming from the fact that I filmed a protest as a member of the media.”
That moment alone is now circulating across social media — and it’s not sitting well with journalists, civil rights advocates, or anyone who remembers why the First Amendment exists.
Who Georgia Fort Is — And Why This Matters
Georgia Fort isn’t some random Facebook streamer.
She’s an Emmy-winning journalist, founder of BLCK Press, and a longtime community reporter known for covering protests, policing, and civil rights issues in the Twin Cities — stories that mainstream outlets often parachute into and then abandon.
She also runs the Center for Broadcast Journalism, a nonprofit focused on opening doors for people who don’t come from elite newsrooms.
In Georgia — where Black reporters have historically had to build their own platforms because traditional media shut them out — Fort’s work looks familiar. Independent. Community-rooted. And now, apparently, criminalized.
What Happened at Cities Church
The arrest traces back to a January 18 protest at Cities Church, where demonstrators gathered after learning the church’s lead pastor reportedly also works with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Protesters entered the church. Fort documented what happened.
That’s it.
Federal authorities now claim the protest was a “coordinated attack.” Based on that claim, Fort was arrested alongside former CNN anchor Don Lemon and two activists, Trahern Jeen Crews and Jamael Lydell Lundy.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the arrests publicly.
As of publication, no specific charges against Fort have been publicly laid out.
