Banned News Outlets Seek Emergency Hearing After White House Blocks Access Despite Court Order

Lawyers representing three major news organizations banned from the White House have requested an emergency court hearing after journalists were turned away from the building despite a federal judge's order restoring their access, according to a new court filing.

The filing states that on Thursday morning, journalists from CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO attempted to enter the White House and were turned away. The filing further alleges that Secret Service agents confiscated the hard passes of journalists whose credentials had not previously been revoked, describing the incident as apparent defiance of the court's order.

A federal judge had previously ruled that the Trump administration must immediately return the press passes of the affected outlets, and had indicated that the ban was likely unconstitutional. The White House had barred the outlets from the building, a move that drew swift legal challenges from the news organizations affected.

Press access to the White House has long been governed by a credentialing system that grants approved journalists routine entry to cover the presidency. Legal experts have noted that restricting access based on the content of an outlet's coverage raises First Amendment concerns, which is the basis on which the outlets challenged the ban in court.

The emergency hearing request signals an escalation in the dispute, with the news organizations' lawyers seeking swift judicial intervention to enforce the earlier ruling. The case is being closely watched as a test of how the courts will handle disputes over press access to the White House.

It was not immediately clear when the court would rule on the request for an emergency hearing. The White House has not issued a detailed public response to the allegations contained in the new filing.