Police and the Press Interaction in the ICE Age
Journalists covering immigration enforcement and public order operations increasingly find themselves caught between expanding assertions of federal authority and well-settled First Amendment protections. In this rare joint session, NPPA General Counsel Mickey H. Osterreicher and Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association General Counsel Eric Atstupenas examine what the law permits, what happens when it is misapplied in the field, and where risk arises for both journalists and officers when doctrine, training, and real-world conditions come face-to-face. Drawing on decades of experience training police leaders and defending press freedom, the program will unpack recent DHS and ICE-related encounters, clarify the limits of detention, seizure, and interference with newsgathering, and offer practical guidance for safer, lawful interactions in an era of heightened enforcement and diminished trust.
Speakers
Eric Atstupenas
Eric Atstupenas is dedicated to empowering law enforcement professionals through practical, insightful legal guidance. As General Counsel for the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, Eric combines his legal expertise with a deep connection to the law enforcement community, a passion inspired by his father’s own service in the field. Licensed in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, he has focused his career on guiding officers and leadership through the complexities of today’s legal challenges.
Eric serves as a trainer for the Municipal Police Institute, Inc. (MPI), where he develops and delivers critical training programs for law enforcement. As an author and editor of several law enforcement-related guides, he has contributed to the education of officers and command staff on key legal issues.
In his commitment to advancing modern law enforcement practices, Eric collaborates with Blue Voice, Inc., an AI-driven platform that provides officers with instant access to legal, policy, and community resources. This technology empowers officers to prevent mistakes, de-escalate situations, reduce paperwork burdens, and save valuable time in the field.
Eric serves as Chair of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Legal Officers Section and as a member of the IACP Committee on Human and Civil Rights. He also contributes to law enforcement training in Massachusetts as a board member of the Municipal Police Institute, Inc.
Eric’s work has been featured in Police Chief magazine, and he has had the privilege of being a frequent speaker at conferences across the country. Eric’s collaborative approach has also led him to partner with experts like Eric Daigle, Esq. of Daigle Law Group, LLC, to provide meaningful consulting and training opportunities for law enforcement agencies. He also owns and manages BrightRaven Strategies, LLC, which offers training, consulting, and legal advising tailored to law enforcement needs.
In every role he takes on, Eric’s mission is clear: to empower law enforcement professionals with the knowledge and resources they need to protect and serve their communities with confidence and care.
Mickey H. Osterreicher
Mickey H. Osterreicher is General Counsel for the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), where he leads legal advocacy and nationwide training on First Amendment rights, press access, and police–press relations. A nationally recognized media law expert, he brings more than five decades of combined experience as a practicing attorney and award-winning photojournalist to his work at the intersection of journalism, public safety, and constitutional law.
Osterreicher regularly conducts training for agencies and organizations, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the NYPD, the LAPD, the Chicago PD, the National Sheriffs’ Association, and multiple state and local police agencies. His work is cited by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, including in A Presumption of Journalism (2023), which recognizes his leadership in advancing practical standards for identifying and protecting legitimate journalistic activity.
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) honored him in 2015 as a “Fellow of the Society,” the highest professional honor given by the Society for extraordinary contribution to the profession. In 2021, he was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He was named the 2024 “Guardian of the Press” by the Los Angeles Press Club for his contributions to press freedom.
He has served as a uniformed reserve deputy sheriff with the Erie County Sheriff’s Office since 1976, bringing a unique operational perspective to police training. He is admitted to practice law in New York State and several federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.