Journalist Georgia Fort Arrested by FBI After Livestreaming Coverage of Anti-ICE Church Protest

Journalist Georgia Fort Arrested by FBI After Livestreaming Coverage of Anti-ICE Church Protest

Independent journalist Georgia Fort was arrested Friday morning by federal agents at her Minneapolis home — and the dramatic moment was caught live on her own social media livestream as she told viewers FBI agents had come with a warrant.

Fort’s arrest stems from her coverage of an anti-ICE protest inside a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where demonstrators interrupted a service to challenge a pastor who also serves as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field director.

Federal authorities, including the FBI, say Fort, along with former CNN anchor Don Lemon and others, is facing charges connected to the protest — with prosecutors alleging violations related to conspiracy and interfering with rights at a place of worship.

In the livestream posted just before her arrest, Fort said she was following her attorney’s advice and that agents at her door had a warrant. She explained her children were in the home at the time, adding that her detention “is all stemming from the fact that I filmed a protest as a member of the media.”

Fort is a three-time Midwest Emmy Award winner and president of a journalism organization focused on mentorship and news coverage in Minnesota. Her arrest — and the arrest of other journalists covering the same event — has sparked widespread concern among press freedom groups who argue the actions may chill constitutional rights.

As of Friday afternoon, Fort had been released from custody and greeted by a crowd of supporters outside the federal courthouse, though federal charges remain pending as the legal saga continues to unfold.