
A freelance journalist remains in federal custody days after covering protests surrounding recent immigration raids at cannabis farms in Southern California. The reporter, whose footage captured the tense clashes between federal agents and demonstrators, was detained at the scene and has not yet been formally charged. Press freedom advocates are raising alarms, calling the arrest a violation of First Amendment rights and an attempt to intimidate independent media. Organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists have demanded the journalist’s immediate release, warning that such detentions set a dangerous precedent for media working in high-conflict zones within the U.S.