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timothy mellon
United States Plunges into Unlawful Rule and Extrajudicial Killings
Jan 30, 2026
Renee Good and Alex Pretti were murdered by federal agents because they were human rights defenders, bearing witness to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) widescale human rights abuses in Minneapolis. As legal observers and protestors, they were scrutinizing and calling attention to an authority that has attempted every measure to evade accountability for its crimes of unlawful kidnapping and deportation.
In light of these and other extrajudicial killings, and as government officials now label civil society solidarity “domestic terrorism,” FIDH and the Center for Constitutional Rights warn of a potentially irrevocable backsliding of human rights and the rule of law in the United States.
The systemic suppression of investigations and evidence, coupled with outright lies and denial of facts, as well as the direct pressure placed on judges mark dramatic escalations of authoritarian tactics by government officials and place serious constraints on the possibility of justice for those whose rights are being violated.
The Trump administration’s efforts to provide unchecked funding and to increase the power of federal law enforcement agencies in the United States increasingly resemble attempts to establish instruments for state-sanctioned intimidation and extrajudicial killing. "The kidnapping and detention of protesters, union leaders, Native community leaders, and many more appear as nothing but direct counterinsurgent measures and a sign of a rapid erosion of civil society’s freedoms,” said Alexis Deswaef, FIDH’s president.
And in the absence of public obedience with such tactics, signs of a permanent state of exception, boosted by unprecedented surveillance, are also taking hold. Popular pressure, protests, and civil society’s mobilization now appear as the sole safeguard for democracy and human rights in the United States. FIDH and the Center for Constitutional Rights commend those taking to the streets and those refusing to back down in this moment of crisis. As organizations from an international network, they are well-aware of the risks human rights defenders take under authoritarian regimes, but also are certain that history is on the side of the protesters refusing injustice.
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From Arresting Journalists to Epstein Cover-Up, AOC Says 'Bondi Should Be Up for Impeachment Too'
Another House Democrat ripped President Donald Trump and his Justice Department for making clear that "they intend to withhold roughly 50% of the Epstein files, while claiming to have fully complied with the law."
Jan 30, 2026
US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Friday that Attorney General Pam Bondi should be facing impeachment, pointing to the top Justice Department official's handling of the Epstein files, efforts to force Minnesota to hand over its voter data, and arrest of journalists including former CNN anchor Don Lemon.
Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) made the call in response to Bondi's Friday morning announcement that Lemon, independent journalist Georgia Fort, and two others were arrested in connection with a protest at a Minnesota church earlier this month.
"Between this, Epstein, and her attempted extortion of MN voter files, Bondi should be up for impeachment too," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on social media, alluding to the ongoing effort to oust Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Following the arrests of Lemon and others, the Justice Department announced the release of more than 3 million pages of documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—more than a month after the passage of a deadline established by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Donald Trump signed in November.
But the latest disclosure did not satisfy the lawmakers leading the push for full transparency. The Justice Department indicated Friday that it only released around half of the Epstein documents subject to review.
“Donald Trump and his Department of Justice have now made it clear that they intend to withhold roughly 50% of the Epstein files, while claiming to have fully complied with the law. This is outrageous and incredibly concerning," said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. "The Oversight Committee subpoena directs Pam Bondi to release all the files to the committee, while protecting survivors. They are in violation of the law."
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who floated impeachment proceedings against Bondi last month, said in a statement that he will be "reviewing closely to see if they release what I’ve been pushing for: the FBI 302 victim interview statements, a draft indictment and prosecution memorandum prepared during the 2007 Florida investigation, and hundreds of thousands of emails and files from Epstein’s computers."
"Failing to release these files only shields the powerful individuals who were involved and hurts the public’s trust in our institutions," said Khanna, the author of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
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Unconstitutional Arrest of Independent Journalists, Including Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, Fits Lawless Pattern of Escalation by Trump Administration
‘These latest arrests are just the latest in a long line of First Amendment violations by the Trump administration.’
Jan 30, 2026
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered the arrest of former CNN anchor Don Lemon and Minneapolis journalist Georgia Fort. Federal agents have since arrested the two alongside local public officials.
Don Lemon and Georgia Fort are both independent journalists who have been covering the community response to ICE and Border Patrol violence in Minnesota. Fort went live on Facebook early Friday morning to share that agents were at her door to take her into custody. Her attorney confirmed to The Minnesota Star Tribune that they were federal law enforcement agents.
Also arrested were local political candidates Trahern Jeen Crews and Jamael Lydell Lundy. The government alleges that Lemon and Fort violated federal law while engaged in the constitutionally protected activity of covering a Jan. 18 protest inside St. Paul church. The federal government’s case for arresting Lemon had been rejected last week by a magistrate judge.
At least three community members have also been arrested for their participation in the protest, including Minneapolis civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, St. Paul school board member Cauntyll Allen, and military veteran William Kelly. The protest was organized to demand that one of the church’s pastors resign from his position leading the local ICE field office.
Free Press Action Advocacy Director Jenna Ruddock said:
“As the Trump administration’s all-out assault on Minnesota continues, the First Amendment remains in its crosshairs. While journalists and civilians continue to heroically document conditions on the ground in the face of escalating violence from federal agents, the Trump administration is using every weapon at its disposal to shut down efforts to document, report and dissent.
“The First Amendment protects acts of protest and acts of journalism equally. The criminalization of both journalists and protesters serves the same authoritarian project: shutting down dissenting voices or any content that deviates from the official narrative. These actions should outrage our leading media organizations, our elected officials and the public alike.
“These latest arrests are just the latest in a long line of First Amendment violations by the Trump administration. Too often, corporate media have readily capitulated to the administration’s demands. Independent journalists, on the other hand, are continuing to lead by example with their critical reporting under increasingly unsafe conditions – indeed, with targets on their backs.
“The charges against Don Lemon and Georgia Fort must be dropped, along with the charges against Nakima Levy, Cauntyll Allen, and all other demonstrators arrested in Minneapolis for exercising the First Amendment rights.
“But that’s just a start. In order to ensure that our essential constitutional rights are protected, Congress needs to exercise oversight of the Department of Justice by calling Attorney General Bondi before Congress; reintroduce and pass the PRESS Act; reform the Espionage Act; and reassert everyone’s right to record so those engaged in acts of journalism aren’t immediate targets for state violence and crackdowns.”
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It's a 'Cover-Up,' Says Khanna, If Official FBI Survivor Statements Not Included in Epstein File Dump
“Refusing to release these files only shields the powerful individuals who were involved," said Khanna, "and hurts the public’s trust in our institutions."
Jan 30, 2026
More than a month past the deadline set by legislation passed last year, the US Department of Justice on Friday released over 3 million more pages of files related to convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein, but one Democratic lawmaker who has led the push for the disclosure emphasized that the exact contents of the files must be determined to tell whether the release is simply another "cover-up."
"What are we looking for? The FBI statements," Khanna (D-Calif.) told MS NOW. "We need to see whether the 302 forms are being released. That's where the survivors mention who the other rich and powerful men are who abused or raped them... and second, are the prosecution memos being released? This is the document that shows why these rich and powerful men weren't prosecuted.
"If there's no cover-up," said the congressman, those files will be included.
The survivors want a transparent release. If there's no coverup this release should have the 302 statements and prosecution memos to show who these rich and powerful men were. pic.twitter.com/ZgjrHEKO3z
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) January 30, 2026
Files that were released and circulated on social media on Friday afternoon included multiple descriptions of sexual assault in which President Donald Trump was named. Those did not appear to be official 302 forms from an FBI interview with victims, which typically contain the name of the agent who conducted the interview, the date, and other information.
The New York Times noted that "a significant number of uncorroborated tips" were included in the release.
Prem Thakker of Zeteo said the descriptions of sexual assault allegations appeared to come from an FBI tip line and it was not clear whether they had ever been investigated.
Soon after the documents were released, journalists including CNN's Jake Tapper reported on social media that many of the links that had led to the files on the DOJ's website were no longer active.
MS NOW senior legal reporter Lisa Rubin reported that some of the documents had revealed "the names and other identifying details of known survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. In at least one case, MS NOW found a driver's license with an unredacted photo among the documents produced."
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, said the release did not appear to comply with an earlier subpoena from the committee, which directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all of the Epstein files while protecting survivors.
"Donald Trump and his Justice Department have now made clear that they intend to withhold roughly 50% of the Epstein files, while claiming to have fully complied with the law," said Garcia. "This is outrageous and incredibly concerning."
"We are demanding the names of Epstein's co-conspirators and the men and pedophiles who abused women and girls," he said. "We will begin a thorough review of this latest limited production, but let's be clear: Our work and investigation are just getting started."
Khanna called on Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to meet with him and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to assess what files were released.
"If you are serious about engaging members, let us have this meeting," he said.
The congressman told the Times that a draft indictment prepared during the 2007 investigation into Epstein in Florida and "hundreds of thousands of emails and files from Epstein’s computers" must also be released.
“Refusing to release these files only shields the powerful individuals who were involved," said Khanna, "and hurts the public’s trust in our institutions."
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