Jessica Mendoza

What has the DHS said about the fact that many of these cases don't bear out in court?

When the courts decide that these folks are not guilty or the charges are dismissed, I mean, does the government go back online and kind of address that?

Whether or not these accusations made their way to court, video has often played a big role in contradicting the government's case.

Over and over again, videos that Hannah's team reviewed showed interactions with immigration agents that cast doubt on the way that federal officials had initially talked about them.

— In other words, the Wall Street Journal found that most of the assault allegations against American protesters posted on X were unsubstantiated.

Even federal prosecutors themselves acknowledged that in some cases, the evidence to back up these charges wasn't there.

What is DHS and ICE's goal here?

It doesn't sound like getting a conviction is ultimately it because they were doing this regardless of whether, you know, the charges really went anywhere.

So what is behind this push to crack down on the way that Americans act around immigration officers and authorities?

Even in cases where a person is exonerated, there can still be heavy repercussions.

Things like costs for posting bail, securing defense attorneys, and taking days off from work to appear in court.

And in more extreme cases, people are doxxed online and face death threats.

In Reed's case, the post on X with her name and image is still up, and it's gotten more than 35,000 views, even though she was acquitted.

She had to explain to her employer why she missed a shift when she was held in jail for two days.

She's expressed reservations about air travel, worried that her name could be flagged.

And she says she's been more hesitant about engaging in political speech.

On the day Reid was arrested, as she sat in the back of a government vehicle, handcuffed, one of the agents riding in the car with her criticized people interfering in police affairs.

That's all for today, Monday, March 23rd.

The Journal is a co-production of Spotify and The Wall Street Journal.

Additional reporting in this episode by Belle Cushing, Emma Scott, Brenna T. Smith, and Brian Witten.