A manual for ICE's immigrant-targeting computer system, Palantir ELITE, was leaked today. Let's look at it, then step back to evaluate how far we've come along a dangerous road and where that road might take us. 🧵

Florida man seeks to create state counterintelligence unit, claim vast surveillance powers against those with "views" and "opinions" he doesn't like. Not as funny as those other “Florida man” headlines.

Incarcerated people have long faced discipline for reading literature that guards don't like. Now Daniel Sanchez Estrada is facing federal trial tomorrow for possessing anarchist zines. Jeremy wrote for @theintercept.com about how the case could bring prison style censorship to the outside world.

"When the government ignores and abuses laws designed to ensure transparency, it’s no wonder that people of conscience decide to leak news to the press and public," FPF's @seth-stern.bsky.social writes for @theintercept.com.

We (@eff.org & @aclu-norcal.bsky.social) have asked several techcos to closely scrutinize and resist compliance with administrative subpoenas from ICE, CBP, and other DHS components. DHS is using these subpoenas to punish those exercising their First Amendment rights. www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...

Leakers Helped Destroy the Deportation Case Against Tufts Student theintercept.com/2026/02/13/r...

The U.S. Virgin Islands always deserve transparency but especially when they're at the center of national news like the Epstein case. We spoke to journalist @shirleysmithvi.bsky.social about her efforts to fix the territory's archaic public records laws.

Thanks for your support @freedom.press. Journalists must pushback against any attempts by those in power - locally & nationally - to stifle the media because every time they succeed, it emboldens others to follow suit, which can lead to the dismantling of democracy & a government-controlled media.

An ICE official told a judge that showing his face would put his life in danger. Turns out his face was on his LinkedIn profile. It's a "clear example" of the false pretexts used to shield officials from accountability, FPF's Seth Stern writes in @theintercept.com.

DHS calls whistleblowers a “threat to national security.” But without leaks to the press, the public wouldn’t know that ICE is entering homes without warrants, labeling protesters “domestic terrorists,” building mass surveillance tools with Big Tech, or pushing propaganda.

Isn't Noem's post about leaks kind of...a leak? Don't think prosecutors are into gov officials giving heads ups about criminal referrals. Of course the administration only opposes leaks that expose its corruption and incompetence. They're all for leaks that get them a few social media likes.

The #FirstAmendment is under attack. Legacy media needs to advocate for #PressFreedom A local PA newspaper is being sued by a US House Rep for an *Opinion* piece: "satisfies the constitutional actual-malice standard" (Ken Cuccinelli of Project 2025 filed) +DonLemon & GeorgiaFort +Natanson / WaPo

The charges against @donlemonofficial.bsky.social and @bygeorgiafort.bsky.social “are absolutely frivolous,” FPF’s Seth Stern tells CNN’s Victor Blackwell. Trump’s point “is not to win. The point is to intimidate and chill lawful newsgathering.”

🔴 The arrest of Don Lemon is blatant censorship. And he is not the only one: Thursday’s arrests of Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort demonstrate the administration’s lawless crusade against routine journalism Read FPF's @seth-stern.bsky.social's op-ed in the @us.theguardian.com.

The arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort are blatant censorship. And they are not the only ones. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... #PressFreedom

From @freedom.press' @seth-stern.bsky.social: The "arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort are naked attacks on freedom of the press. Two federal courts flatly rejected" prosecuting them for reporting, and "instead of accepting that humiliating defeat, the government has now doubled down"

From assaults at protests to a raid at a reporter’s home, plus a prior restraint in Las Vegas — a month into 2026, journalists are facing a landscape of aggressions. Watch our Managing Editor @kamccudden.bsky.social explain, and subscribe to our newsletter: pressfreedomtracker.us/newsletter

A Nevada judge entered two illegal gag orders against journalists in just over a week. FPF's @seth-stern.bsky.social wrote for @reviewjournal.com that any first year law student could have recognized the unconstitutionality of Judge Jessica Peterson's ridiculous rulings.

Journalists headed to Minneapolis: I checked in with @acatwithnews.bsky.social who's on the ground. Good tips. 👇 A) Brace for EXTREME cold. Sean's from Milwaulkee. Even he called it "WTF level of cold." B) Chemical spray may render gear unusable. Destroyed his mittens, which are vital. 🧵 1/5

I'm looking for witnesses/victims of DHS retaliation against people recording their agents (ICE, Border Patrol, FPS, etc) in North Carolina. I focus on press, but victims do NOT need to be a journalist. Everyone has right to record. Our friends @aclunc.bsky.social would also love to hear from you:

"Checking for a pulse and administering CPR is standard. Instead of doing either of those things, the ICE agents appeared to be counting his bullet wounds."

This is Minneapolis. Literally every corner along Lake St. packed with people holding candles, many singing, honoring a person who by all accounts was an absolute gem of a human, whose life was tragically stolen by a fascist, paramilitary occupation force.

Filming ICE is an act of journalism. Cell phone footage is vital source material for reporters who can’t be everywhere at once. Shooting, killing and other targeting of those documenting news is an attack on press freedom and all else that's good in the world.

Brutal contrast exposed by @oliverdarcy.bsky.social tonight in @status.news ... Israel killed a journalist who worked for both CBS and AFP. Only one of those outlets immediately spoke out. Hint: Not the one run by Bari Weiss.

We've gotten a lot of questions from journalists worried about raids after what happened to the WaPo reporter. We can't stop the Trump admin from illegally seizing your devices, but here are 3 easy tips to mitigate the damage and protect your sources:

The Alabama Solution got an Oscar nod this week for showcasing abuses exposed by incarcerated people recording guards with contraband cell phones. But as the Academy deliberates, the FCC is muzzling the next exposé. Read Jeremy’s article in partnership with @freedom.press and @theintercept.com

📩 Read in our weekly newsletter (and subscribe): - Raid of journalist’s home ignores federal law and constitutional freedoms - What the Maduro ‘extradition’ means for U.S. journalists - @wikipedia.org's 25th birthday proves the power of free speech - Plus, what we're reading...

Journalist Seth Harp may be subpoenaed, prosecuted, or both for reporting the publicly available online bio of a Delta Force commander involved in the Maduro abduction. Use our action center to tell Congress this is unconstitutional and inexcusable.

"The whole idea of searches and seizures isn’t about actually finding information. It’s about intimidating journalists and incriminating them in the eyes of the public," Marion County Record publisher Eric Meyer told FPF's @seth-stern.bsky.social and @chipgibbons.bsky.social.

Brought to you by the exact same people who spent years whining about alleged bias in government funded media.

Following the raid on the home of @washingtonpost.com reporter @hannahnatanson.bsky.social on Wednesday, here are concrete steps to take to safeguard yourself and your sources.

"The Post has had a rocky relationship with the Trump administration in recent months, despite its billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder, attempting to curry favor by blocking it from endorsing Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, in the 2024 presidential election." It doesn't work.

The FBI's raid of the home of @washingtonpost.com reporter @hannahnatanson.bsky.social Wednesday is an alarming escalation in the Trump administration’s multipronged war on press freedom. Read our statement: freedom.press/issues/fbi-i...

DHS claimed four times it had “no documents” in response to @freedom.press records requests. This raises "serious questions about whether the agency is saving its documents anymore, much less creating them," FPF's @laurenleharper.bsky.social writes in @theintercept.com.

"In a networked world, journalism is inherently transnational, but press freedom is not." Former federal computer crime prosecutor Mark Rasch explains how other countries could cite the Maduro abduction to justify kidnapping U.S. journalists. who report things they don't like.

Journalist Seth Harp may be subpoenaed, prosecuted, or both for reporting the name and publicly available online bio of a Delta Force commander involved in the Maduro abduction. Use our action center to tell Congress this is unconstitutional and inexcusable.

Bari Weiss and David Ellison are deservedly blamed for CBS embarrassments from CECOT censorship to Rubio bootlicking. But unlike the "grifters now running the show, there was reason to expect better" of Shari Redstone, @seth-stern.bsky.social writes in @contrariannews.org.

If the Maduro precedent catches on, U.S. reporters could be kidnapped and prosecuted overseas for activities that enjoy legal protection at home. Former federal computer crime prosecutor Mark Rasch explains.

Journalist Seth Harp may be subpoenaed, prosecuted, or both for reporting the name and publicly available online bio of a Delta Force commander involved in the Maduro abduction. Use our action center to tell Congress this is unconstitutional and inexcusable.

For those attending AALS, I'll be moderating a panel on "Lawfare, Leverage, & Freedom of the Press" at 9:30 am Friday with some fantastic speakers - @randersenjones.bsky.social, Ashley Heilprin, @katiefallow.bsky.social, & @seth-stern.bsky.social. Looking forward to an excellent discussion!

If Paramount makes a lame movie, "there’s little long-term impact," @seth-stern.bsky.social writes in @contrariannews.org. "When a news outlet alienates its viewers through cowardice, it’s a different story." Bad journalism is bad business.

Names aren't classified, publishing a government higher-up's name is not "doxxing," and journalists are entitled to publish news, even if it is classified, as long as they don't break the law to get it. It's not the press's job to keep the government's secrets.

This is about the Border Patrol shooting of two individuals near Portland. It's the exact same statement every time, and so far, each time it's been proven false within 24 hours or less. It's a license to kill with impunity. katu.com/news/local/i...

Shari Redstone: the name behind the beginning of CBS News’ slide toward state-aligned media. @seth-stern.bsky.social

Identifying government officials by name is not doxxing or harassment. Seth Harp merely published information that was publicly available about someone at the center of the world’s biggest news story. Read our full statement: freedom.press/issues/house...

The House Oversight Committee just approved an outrageous subpoena of journalist Seth Harp for reporting on Venezuela. His "crime," apparently? Posting already public information from a government website to X. Read our full statement:

"Not only is removing paywalls for public-records-based reporting not financial suicide, it’s good business," @johncusack.bsky.social tells @columjournreview.bsky.social. Read more about the importance of dropping paywalls: www.cjr.org/the-intervie...

From a @columjournreview.bsky.social interview with actor and free press activist John Cusack. www.cjr.org/the-intervie... "...not as a commercial interest to be protected, but more as a democratic function to be preserved. And that distinction is important." Very important. Too often Ignored.

Also a terrible way to kiss up to Trump. He’s just gonna get jealous that he’s not the ultimate Florida man. “Where’s MY salute?” Multibillion dollar defamation lawsuit incoming? Inaugural FIFA Ultimate Florida Man Prize?