FBI Shows Up at a Journalist’s Home, Pressures Her to Reveal Sources

Sarah Fields, a journalist with The Publica Now who has covered a number of in-depth stories involving trafficking and additional illegal activities along the southern border, was visited by the FBI in what she has described as an effort to get her to reveal her sources.

In an X post, Fields described the situation and shared Ring camera footage of two FBI agents who knocked on her door last month.

“The FBI showed up to my door unannounced on October 17th. I was not home and I won’t share the whole video for the sake of protecting others in my home. They called me later in the day, and wanted to arrange a meeting in private at their local office,” Fields explained.

“They wanted to speak to me about certain stories I have reported on (with special interest regarding anything war or border related) and the only conclusion I can come to is that they would like access to my sources,” she continued.

In a follow-up video statement, Fields reported that the agents were interested in a story about a Hamas training camp located just across the southern border.

“A few weeks ago, the FBI showed up at my door. They did not want information about the stories that I share. They did not want further information or details about the information that I’ve shared about the border. With boots on the ground experience, they wanted me to out my sources,” she explained. “After the first time they came to visit me, I wasn’t here. They then called me on my cell phone later on that day. We didn’t give them my cell phone number, and wanted further information about a specific story that I shared about a few weeks ago about a Hamas training camp across the border from Brownsville, Texas.”

The journalist included a screenshot of numerous calls from the U.S. government in Texas, stating that the agents wanted to schedule a private meeting because they were “not comfortable” with discussing the issue over the phone. She also noted that the information relating to the training camp was discussed at a 2021 conference and is publicly available.

“Needless to say, I did not go to their private meeting and they have harassed my family ever since. They have showed up at my doorstep several times. They have called me, they have texted me,” Fields said.

Fields — who has done a number of on-the-ground stories along the U.S. border with Mexico in recent years — vowed to never reveal the identities of any sources and announced that she has obtained legal representation.