1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing with grave alarm to demand immediate congressional action to protect the First Amendment rights of American journalists — rights that are foundational to our republic and are being actively threatened right now. As reported across multiple national news outlets, at least four journalists — Don Lemon, Georgia Fort, Trahern Jeen Crews, and Jamael Lydell Lundy — have been arrested or detained by federal authorities while covering a newsworthy event involving a protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota on January 18, 2026. These individuals were not criminals. They were performing their jobs — the job our Constitution protects. The First Amendment clearly states that Congress shall make no law abridging freedom of speech or of the press. Yet here we are, watching journalists who were documenting events being arrested, charged, and potentially prosecuted under federal laws that should never be used to silence reporting. This is not a partisan issue — it is a constitutional crisis. • Don Lemon — a professional journalist covering a protest; reportedly arrested and charged with federal civil rights and FACE Act-related offenses now vigorously contested by press freedom advocates. • Georgia Fort — an independent journalist detained alongside Lemon while doing her job. • Trahern Jeen Crews — reportedly arrested in connection with the same event. • Jamael Lydell Lundy — also detained in connection with the protest coverage. These arrests have already drawn condemnation from press freedom groups and journalism advocates as an unprecedented and dangerous attack on the freedom of the press — a right that must be protected, not trampled. Congress has an urgent duty — not an option — to act: 1. Launch an immediate investigation into the detentions and prosecutions of these journalists. 2. Hold public hearings on whether federal laws are being misused to chill press freedom. 3. Demand transparency from the Department of Justice and other federal agencies involved. 4. Reaffirm unequivocally, through legislation if necessary, that journalists cannot be criminalized for reporting on events in public places. If Congress fails to act while journalists are arrested for doing their jobs, you will be telling the American people — and the world — that the First Amendment is no longer sacred in the United States. This is too important to ignore. Freedom of the press is not negotiable. It is not optional. It is not subject to reinterpretation based on political convenience — it is the very foundation of democracy. Protect it. Defend it. Act.