Two Illinois protesters sue Benny Johnson for defamation over 'terrorist' claims

Left · 1Two Illinois residents who were detained outside a Chicago-area immigration detention center last year have sued right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson for defamation. 1 Left · 1The lawsuit says Johnson falsely claimed the protesters were assaulting ICE officers during demonstrations at an ICE facility in Illinois last year. 2 Left · 1The plaintiffs are Kyle Frankovich, a data scientist at Harvard University, and Maureen Foody, a contract court reporter; they filed the suit on Friday 2 October in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois, as reported by MS NOW. 1

Left · 1They say they were protesting peacefully outside the Broadview ICE facility when they were detained, and that Johnson knowingly portrayed them as criminals. 1 Left · 1On 3 October 2025, Johnson joined then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and former Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino at Broadview, a site that had become a flashpoint with viral videos of agents shoving demonstrators and firing tear gas and pepper balls. 1 Left · 1According to the complaint, the plaintiffs were standing in a designated "free speech" zone when agents, without provocation, shoved, struck and detained several protesters. 1

Left · 1In one video Johnson showed about 10 detained protesters, including the plaintiffs, with their hands zip-tied and called them "left-wing terrorists arrested for attacking police officers and ICE officers"; the complaint says "All of this was false, which Mr. Johnson knew." 1 Left · 1One post claiming "every activist here attacked ICE agents" drew 1.7 million views, and the suit says hundreds of commenters called for the protesters to be prosecuted or deported, and some for them to be tortured or killed. 1 Left · 1Neither plaintiff was charged with a crime; the complaint says they were held about eight hours and released a half-mile from the facility. 1

Left · 1Frankovich told MS NOW he was shaken by the online reaction and that Johnson's followers labeled him an antifa leader and were "trying to find me and stop me." 1 Left · 1Plaintiffs' attorney Karianne Jones said the suit aims to hold accountable people who "serve as a mouthpiece for the government", and the complaint calls Johnson's content "political combat dressed up as news". 1 Left · 1Raw Story says the case appears to be the first defamation suit tied to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown to target one of the pro-Trump influencers given special access to cover federal operations. 1

Left · 1Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 1 Right · 1The Washington Examiner reports the suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and says Johnson also repeated the accusations on consecutive days across platforms, with one video later broadcast on Fox News. 3 Mixed · 2The Independent and the Washington Examiner say the Department of Homeland Security later posted an image of Frankovich in zip ties; the Independent adds that it carried the caption "FAFO" and that DHS used the footage in recruitment material. 4 3

Left · 1The Independent quotes the complaint as saying Johnson said in a video that "These individuals assaulted ICE officers as they were trying to clear out the area," and that he "knows that his portrayals were false. But he did not care." 4 Left · 1The Independent also said it had requested comment from Johnson's representatives. 4