Georgia Fort, a Minneapolis freelance journalist taken into federal custody on Friday, has documented the immigration crackdown there with reports and commentary stridently critical of the Trump administration.
Ms. Fort was one of four people, including former CNN anchor Don Lemon, who were arrested over the past 24 hours at the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi in connection with the protest at a St. Paul church this month. Also charged were Trahern Jeen Crews and Jamael Lydell Lundy.
Ms. Fort has argued that journalists in this era need to be bold. “We can’t be neutral about the dismantling of our democracy and still expect to be protected by it,” she said in a podcast interview this month. “We cannot allow our fear to paralyze us.”
On Friday, Ms. Fort posted a video on Facebook saying federal agents arrived at her home to take her into custody. Fort said she had attended the Jan. 18 protest to document it as a journalist, and called the case against her a violation of her Constitutional rights.
Ms. Fort’s profile increased in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis in 2020. She was in the courtroom when Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who had killed Mr. Floyd, was sentenced.
Ms. Fort posts live videos and commentary primarily on social media accounts. She has more than 137,000 followers on Facebook and about 70,000 on Instagram.
Ms. Fort was among a group of activists and journalists who attended the protest at Cities Church in St. Paul. One of its pastors is a senior U.S. and Immigration and Customs Enforcement official. Ms. Fort has called the demonstration lawful dissent.
“Civil disobedience and protesting is not intended to be comfortable or even agreeable,” she said in a video posted online the day after the protest. “History teaches us most protesters got in trouble for taking a stand against injustices.”
According to her LinkedIn page, Ms, Fort has worked as a local news reporter in Columbus, Ohio and Duluth, Minn.
Ernesto Londoño is a Times reporter based in Minnesota, covering news in the Midwest and drug use and counternarcotics policy.
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