COLUMBUS, Ohio — Chicago Headline Club President Jeff Arnold, spoke on an SPJ26 panel titled “How to Become a Press Freedom Advocate,” sharing the story of how the Headline Club sued the federal government for its actions against journalists and protesters during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago.
The panel took place Oct. 3 during the four day Society of Professional Journalists’ national convention ain Columbus, Ohio.
Chicago Headline Club v. Noem, filed in October 2025, challenged federal agents’ use of force against journalists, protesters and others during the immigration enforcement operation in the Chicago area. The plaintiffs alleged violations of their First and Fourth Amendment rights.
Arnold said journalists covering the operation, particularly demonstrations near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, were subjected to pepper spray, tear gas and other force.
“They were pepper sprayed, and they were tear gassed. I was at Broadview a number of times and was part of the press gaggle that was tear gassed,” Arnold said.
He said the Headline Club saw documenting how journalists were treated as an important part of the fight over press freedom.
Attorneys from the Chicago firm Loevy + Loevy approached the club about joining the litigation. Arnold said he quickly polled the board.
“Within an hour we had a unanimous ‘Yes, we want to be part of this,'” he said.
For the club, that meant working with attorneys, documenting incidents involving journalists and taking an active role in court to seek protections for reporters doing their jobs.
Arnold was on daily phone calls with attorneys discussing the scope of the suit and strategy.
The case produced a temporary win. U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis issued a temporary restraining order in October 2025. On Nov. 6, 2025, she granted a preliminary injunction restricting federal agents’ use of certain crowd-control tactics against journalists and others.
The injunction also required federal agents to display identifying numbers and wear body cameras. In a later 233-page opinion, Ellis laid out the factual and legal basis for the order.
The government appealed, and the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the injunction on Nov. 19, 2025.
The litigation ended after Operation Midway Blitz wound down and the federal personnel whose conduct prompted the lawsuit left the Chicago area.
The plaintiffs sought dismissal, saying the circumstances behind the case had ended. The district court dismissed the case without prejudice in January 2026, leaving open the possibility of future litigation if similar violations occur. In March, the 7th Circuit vacated the preliminary injunction and dismissed the appeal, concluding the case had become moot.