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US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tried to subpoena BuzzFeed News in an effort to force the media outlet to disclose its sources. A report published by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), states that BuzzFeed News refused to comply with the subpoena with ICE saying it will not enforce the summons and has since withdrawn the subpoena.
However, ICE has said that it will pursue its investigation ‘through other channels.’ The CPJ has urged ICE not to take legal action against news outlets.
According to the CPJ report, BuzzFeed News published an article disclosing that the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility had filed a subpoena on December 1. The subpoena reportedly demanded that the news outlet disclose its source of information used for its reporting on US immigration programs.
The same BuzzFeed report claims that the subpoena had ordered the media outlet to handover documentation to an ICE officer in Virginia by December 22, while further requesting that BuzzFeed did not publicise the existence of the subpoena.
ICE actions disgraceful
CPJ Program Director in New York, Carlos Martinez de la Serna, said: “It is disgraceful for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to try to compel a news organization to turn over unpublished material about their sources. The agency should immediately drop this subpoena.”
“Subpoenaing a news organization to turn over its source material sets a dangerous legal precedent and undermines sources’ trust in the media,” Martinez added.
The CPJ report states the subpoena demanded ‘all documentation including, but not limited to: (1) date of receipt, (2) method of receipt, (3) source of document, and (4) contact information for the source of the document’ relating to BuzzFeed News’ US immigration reporting.
It’s understood that the CPJ contacted ICE for comment on the subpoena, but ICE has not replied.
BuzzFeed News referred the CPJ to a statement given by its editor-in-chief, Mark Schoofs, who said: “This outlet rejects any requests for information about possible sources and methods of [its] reporting.”
Trump effort to undermine free press
The attempts made by ICE to subpoena BuzzFeed News come amid relentless efforts by the Trump administration to undermine the free press. BuzzFeed News claims that Trump has habitually lied about news outlets who publish genuine stories about the President and his administration, often referring to free press reports as ‘fake news’.
Trump’s accusations have seen many reporters facing threats and violence.
The Trump administration has been known to target journalist sources. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has warned its staff not to share internal policies or documents with the media. The DHS has also urged employees, who suspect colleagues of leaking information to the press, to report their co-workers.
The subpoena against BuzzFeed News comes after a recent Washington Post report that claimed DHS investigators had created ‘intelligence reports’ featuring media members who have reported on leaked documents.
Former ICE leader, John Sandweg, blasted the subpoena issued by his former employers saying: “This is embarrassing for ICE. I think it is a weak effort to intimidate the press. When you’re trying to intimidate the press, you cross a line. It is something that the agency should never do.”
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