CNN is suing Donald Trump and several of his aides after the network’s chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta was banned from accessing the building.

Last week, the White House suspended Mr Acosta’s press pass, after the reporter asked the president about his language surrounding the migrant caravan heading to the US border, resulting in a heated exchange. The White House accused Mr Acosta of placing his hands on an intern who was trying to take a microphone away from him during the press conference.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders later shared an apparently distorted video clip of the press conference as evidence.

The suit alleges that both Mr Acosta’s and CNN’s constitutional rights are being impinged upon by the removal of the Secret Service “hard pass” and calls for the immediate reinstatement of Mr Acosta’s press credentials. The lawsuit claims that CNN’s first amendment right to free speech is being violated, as is the fifth amendment right to due process.

CNN says it was given no right to respond to the pass being removed, or any notice that it would be.

There are six defendants named in the lawsuit, including Mr Trump, White House chief of staff John Kelly, press secretary Sarah Sanders, deputy chief of staff for communications Bill Shine and Secret Service director Joseph Clancy.

The Secret Service officer who took the pass away last Wednesday is also listed, although he is identified as John Doe in the suit, pending him being named.

Trump attacks CNN's Jim Acosta in angry White House press conference Show all 10 1 /10 Trump attacks CNN's Jim Acosta in angry White House press conference Trump attacks CNN's Jim Acosta in angry White House press conference Donald Trump launched an extraordinary tirade against CNN reporter Jim Acosta during a press conference following the midterm elections Reuters Trump attacks CNN's Jim Acosta in angry White House press conference The US president ordered the journalist to put down his microphone and “just sit down” AFP Trump attacks CNN's Jim Acosta in angry White House press conference The row began following a question about the migrant caravan approaching the US, when Mr Trump was asked by CNN’s Jim Acosta if he thought he had “demonised” migrants by calling the group an “invasion” EPA Trump attacks CNN's Jim Acosta in angry White House press conference “I think you should let me run the country, you run CNN, and if you did it well, your ratings would be much better,” said the President AFP/Getty Trump attacks CNN's Jim Acosta in angry White House press conference After Mr Acosta attempted to follow up his question with a second on Robert Mueller’s Russia probe, Mr Trump added, pointing angrily: “That’s enough. That’s enough. That’s enough. Excuse me, that’s enough.” Mr Trump said he was “not concerned about anything” because the investigation was “a hoax”. Continuing to berate Mr Acosta, he added: “That’s enough. Put down the mic.” As the reporter continued to quiz him, Mr Trump became more agitated and stepped away from the podium. EPA Trump attacks CNN's Jim Acosta in angry White House press conference Returning to the podium, Mr Trump said: “I’ll tell you what, CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them. You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn’t be working for CNN REUTERS Trump attacks CNN's Jim Acosta in angry White House press conference Trump continued: 'The way you treat Sarah Huckabee is horrible and the way you treat other people are horrible. You shouldn’t treat people that way.” She was sitting in the room listening on REUTERS Trump attacks CNN's Jim Acosta in angry White House press conference A second reporter, Peter Alexander, was called on by the president and said: “In Jim’s defence I’ve travelled with him a lot, he’s a diligent reporter.” EPA Trump attacks CNN's Jim Acosta in angry White House press conference Mr Trump cut him off, telling the NBC News journalist that “I’m not a big fan of yours either”, prompting laughter in the room AP Trump attacks CNN's Jim Acosta in angry White House press conference Mr Acosta continued to try to ask questions without his microphone, causing Mr Trump to tell him: “Just sit down, please. When you report fake news – no – when you report fake news, which CNN does, a lot, you are the enemy of the people.” REUTERS

In a statement on Tuesday morning, CNN said it is seeking a preliminary injunction as soon as possible so that Mr Acosta can return to the White House right away, and a ruling from the court preventing the White House from revoking Mr Acosta’s pass in the future.

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“CNN filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration this morning in DC district court,” the statement read. “It demands the return of the White House credentials of CNN’s chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acosta’s first amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their fifth amendment rights to due process.

“We have asked this court for an immediate restraining order requiring the pass be returned to Jim, and will seek permanent relief as part of this process.”

CNN said that they believe that other news organisations could be targeted by the White House in this way in future.

In its lawsuit, CNN brought attention to Mr Trump’s threats against the press and reporters he believes will write negative coverage of his administration.

“While CNN and Acosta have been favourite targets of abuse by the administration, the president’s criticism has been directed at other news organisations too,” the lawsuit read. “The president has actively criticised and discredited any journalist or media outlet he believes might report something he considers negative. As the president explained to Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes: ‘You know why I do it? I do it to discredit you all and demean you all so when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you.’ And the revocation of Acosta’s credentials is only the beginning; as the president explained, there ‘could be others also’ who get their credentials revoked.”

The network received the public support of the White House Correspondents Association. The organisation released a statement on Tuesday morning expressing strong support for “CNN’s goal of seeing their correspondent regain a US Secret Service security credential that the White House should not have taken away in the first place”.

In response to the lawsuit, Ms Sanders issued a statement from the White House. “We have been advised that CNN has filed a complaint challenging the suspension of Jim Acosta’s hard pass. This is just more grandstanding from CNN, and we will vigorously defend against this lawsuit.

“CNN, who has nearly 50 additional hard pass holders, and Mr Acosta is no more or less special than any other media outlet or reporter with respect to the first amendment.”