What happened
Two individuals, Maureen Foody and Kyle Frankovich, who were detained outside a Chicago-area ICE facility, have filed a lawsuit against podcaster Benny Johnson. They claim that Johnson defamed them by referring to them as left-wing terrorists who attacked federal officers during a protest.
The plaintiffs were part of a protest opposing the Trump administration's Operation Midway Blitz and were detained by ICE. Johnson, who was present at the scene with Homeland Security officials, filmed the protesters and described them as violent and criminal. The lawsuit accuses Johnson of making false statements and seeks damages above $75,000.
The incident occurred during a ride-along with Homeland Security officials, including then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Johnson's footage of the event was later used by the Department of Homeland Security in recruiting materials.
