Voto Latino Denounces Federal Arrest of Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort

The United States government is posing a clear and present threat to First Amendment rights, dangerously edging towards state-sponsored censorship.

Washington, D.C. — Following news of the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, Minnesota National Association of Black Journalists Vice President, under the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi, Voto Latino issued the following statement:

“Our constitutional rights, enshrined in the First Amendment, are not up for debate. In a functioning democracy, journalists have a responsibility to report on current events, hold elected leaders accountable regardless of party, and ask—and demand answers to—tough questions. What we are witnessing now, with Attorney General Pam Bondi ordering the arrest of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, is chilling and deeply disturbing.

The Trump administration has spent more than a year dangerously sowing mistrust of American journalists among the public. The weaponization of the Department of Justice against members of the media is a tactic borrowed from authoritarian governments and is dangerously edging toward state-sponsored censorship. This is yet another attempt to intimidate and silence those who shed light on the truth.

At a moment when the Trump administration relies on disinformation to justify its lawlessness, the role of a free press is our last line of defense. Voto Latino stands with Don Lemon, Georgia Fort, and all journalists who refuse to be silenced by political retaliation.”

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Voto Latino is a civic advocacy organization dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of Latino voters while working to build a more inclusive and representative democracy. Since its founding, Voto Latino has registered more than two million voters. In 2024, the organization took legal action to protect voting rights, filing multiple lawsuits in Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina to safeguard access to the ballot ahead of the elections.