A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the government to halt its review of materials seized last week from the home of a Washington Post reporter. Magistrate Judge William B. Porter issued the ruling in response to a legal filing by The Washington Post, which argued that the seizure violated the First Amendment and demanded the return of the items.

The newspaper's filing asserted that the seizure "chills speech, cripples reporting and inflicts irreparable harm every day the government keeps its hands on protected materials." Judge Porter stated that The Post and the reporter, Hannah Natanson, had demonstrated sufficient cause to maintain the status quo while the legal issues are addressed in court.

The F.B.I. conducted the search at Ms. Natanson's residence. Ms. Natanson has extensively covered the changes within the federal government during the second Trump administration. Weeks before the search, she authored a first-person article detailing her use of the encrypted messaging app Signal to communicate with government sources. One of her colleagues described her as the "federal government whisperer."

Authorities seized two laptops, one owned by The Post, along with a company iPhone and a portable drive. The specific reasons for the search and seizure have not been officially disclosed. The Washington Post's legal filing seeks the immediate return of all seized items and a permanent injunction preventing the government from accessing or disseminating the information contained within them. The government has not yet issued a public statement regarding the judge's order or the underlying investigation. The case raises concerns about potential government overreach and its impact on press freedom. The court is expected to schedule further hearings to consider the merits of The Post's claims and determine the ultimate disposition of the seized materials.