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Duluth Native Sues FAA over Drone Ban Near Immigration Agents
Levine says the rule blocks routine reporting and could expose drone operators to criminal and civil penalties, according to a coalition of news organizations.
- Minneapolis-Based freelance photographer Rob Levine filed a petition last month challenging a Federal Aviation Administration ban on drone flights within 3,000 feet of Department of Homeland Security facilities and mobile assets.
- Levine argues the Jan. 16 notice effectively grounds journalists, preventing them from documenting federal agents and infringing on First Amendment rights through unconstitutionally vague restrictions.
- His attorney, Grayson Clary of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, called the restriction "arbitrary and capricious," noting unmarked DHS vehicles make compliance impossible for operators in urban areas.
- A coalition including The New York Times, Washington Post, and National Press Photographers Association sent a letter to the FAA in January decrying the policy's criminal and civil penalties for journalists.
- The petition for judicial review is filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where Clary expects the case to proceed before a three-judge panel after the FAA provides documentation.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Post Bulletin
Minnesota photographer sues FAA over drone ban near immigration agents
MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota photographer is suing the Federal Aviation Administration over a strict, nationwide ban on drones near immigration enforcement activities. Rob Levine, a freelance photographer based in Minneapolis and formerly of Duluth, filed the petition last month, challenging the agency’s no-fly zone within 3,000 feet of Department of Homeland Security buildings and vehicles. “It really sent a chill down my spine, because the penalt…
Duluth native sues FAA over drone ban near immigration agents
WASHINGTON — A Duluth native is suing the Federal Aviation Administration over a strict, nationwide ban on drones near immigration enforcement activities. Rob Levine, a freelance photographer based in Minneapolis, filed the petition last month, challenging the agency’s no-fly zone within 3,000 feet of Department of Homeland Security buildings and vehicles. “It really sent a chill down my spine, because the penalties are onerous,” Levine said. “T…
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