{"id":439940,"date":"2026-01-31T01:32:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T01:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/439940\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T01:32:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T01:32:08","slug":"don-lemon-arrested-over-anti-ice-church-protest-in-minnesota","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/439940\/","title":{"rendered":"Don Lemon arrested over anti-ICE church protest in Minnesota"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fresh out of federal custody, former CNN anchor Don Lemon vowed Friday not to back off his work as a journalist despite an indictment against him and others over an anti-ICE protest he covered this month at a Minnesota church<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Lemon cited his profession\u2019s protections under the First Amendment \u2014 the same one federal prosecutors contend he and his co-defendants violated by infringing on the churchgoers\u2019 freedom of religion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no more important time than right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable,\u201d Lemon said in his first public remarks since his arrest late Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe First Amendment of the Constitution protects that work for me and for countless of other journalists who do what I do. I stand with all of them, and I will not be silenced,\u201d he added, speaking outside a federal courthouse in Los Angeles, where he had just been ordered released pending trial.<\/p>\n

Lemon, fellow independent journalist Georgia Fort and two people active in Democratic circles in Minnesota were arrested as part of a broader indictment over the Jan. 18 demonstration against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which Lemon livestreamed while reporting on the event at Cities Church in St. Paul.<\/p>\n

Demonstrators say they were there to protest ICE tactics and a pastor of the church, David Easterwood<\/a>, who also leads the local field office for ICE.\u00a0Easterwood was recently listed as a defendant in a\u00a0case<\/a>\u00a0brought by protesters who alleged immigration agents had violated their First and Fourth Amendment rights.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just here photographing, I\u2019m not part of the group. \u2026 I\u2019m a journalist,\u201d Lemon is heard<\/a> saying in his video.<\/p>\n

The indictment<\/a> names nine defendants.\u00a0The prosecution alleges in it that a group of \u201cagitators\u201d gathered to discuss their plans prior to traveling to Cities Church to engage in a \u201cplanned takeover-style operation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Demonstrators joined in on various chants inside the church including \u201cICE Out!\u201d and \u201cStand Up, Fight Back,\u201d according to the indictment, which was signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, among others.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors also allege that one defendant called some congregants \u201cNazi,\u201d and asked some children, \u201cDo you know your parents are Nazis? They\u2019re going to burn in hell.\u201d<\/p>\n

The portions of the indictment involving Lemon largely hang on details from his livestream, particularly that he made a point of telling viewers he wouldn\u2019t say where the protest was going to take place. <\/p>\n

Lemon and Fort \u2014 in one of the few mentions of her in the indictment \u2014 are also accused of obstructing the pastor\u2019s movements when they approached to question him; the document does not specify if this was Easterwood. Prosecutors contend Lemon \u201cstood so close to the pastor that Lemon caused the pastor\u2019s right hand to graze Lemon, who then admonished the pastor, \u2018Please don\u2019t push me.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Until now, efforts to secure charges against Lemon had stalled in court. A federal magistrate judge previously\u00a0refused<\/a>\u00a0to approve a criminal complaint against him, saying prosecutors hadn\u2019t shown probable cause \u2014 a decision upheld by an appeals panel last week.<\/p>\n

Earlier in the week, the Department of Justice had reportedly<\/a> withdrawn its bid for an arrest warrant, though officials indicated they might pursue charges through other procedures.<\/p>\n

Bondi confirmed the arrests in a social media post<\/a> Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cEarly this morning federal agents arrested Don Lemon, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota,\u201d Bondi said on X. Fort, Crews and Lundy pleaded not guilty at a hearing Friday in Minnesota and were released.<\/p>\n

Fort is vice president of the Minneapolis chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. She posted a video<\/a> on Facebook early Friday announcing \u201cagents are at my door,\u201d and said her attorney advised her to go with them.<\/p>\n

Crews is the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota and a former Democratic candidate for the Minnesota House. Lundy is a small-business owner and a current Democratic candidate for the Minnesota Senate. <\/p>\n

Lemon is charged with conspiracy<\/a> to deprive rights and interfering by force with someone\u2019s First Amendment rights. The most serious charge carries a penalty of\u00a0up to 10 years in prison. <\/p>\n

Prosecutors argued Friday that Lemon poses a \u201cdanger to the community\u201d and asked the judge to restrict his travel, a request the judge mostly rejected.<\/p>\n

\tRecommended<\/p>\n

Lemon, wearing a tan suit and appearing visibly displeased during the hearing, did not enter a plea, but his attorneys say he will plead not guilty to all charges. His next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 9 in Minnesota. <\/p>\n

\u201cI look forward to my day in court,\u201d Lemon told reporters.<\/p>\n

Lemon was in Los Angeles to cover the Grammy Awards when he was taken into custody late Thursday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, called Lemon\u2019s arrest an \u201cunprecedented attack\u201d and accused the DOJ of using it as a distraction from the backlash the Trump administration is facing after the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.<\/p>\n

Lemon\u2019s arrest marks a major development in a case that has stirred national debate over press freedom and federal power. The case has drawn sharp criticism from advocates and supporters of Lemon.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon Lemon has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,\u201d Lowell said in a statement.\u00a0\u201cThe First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lemon is still strongly associated with his long-running show at CNN, even though he left the network nearly three years ago. The network said in a statement<\/a> that his arrest raises concerns about the freedom of press.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe First Amendment in the United States protects journalists who bear witness to news and events as they unfold, ensuring they can report freely in the public interest, and the DOJ\u2019s attempts to violate those rights is unacceptable,\u201d CNN said.<\/p>\n

Several press freedom and advocacy groups condemned the arrests on Friday. The Committee to Protect Journalists\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0Lemon\u2019s arrest \u201cshould alarm all Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of prioritizing accountability\u00a0in the killings of two American citizens, the\u00a0@realDonaldTrump administration is devoting its resources to arresting journalists,\u201d said Katherine Jacobsen, a spokesperson for the group.<\/p>\n

The National Action Network criticized the Trump administration for violating Lemon\u2019s rights under the First Amendment.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon has spent the last decade calling out the lies or the destructive policies of President Trump, who no doubt was waiting for the right moment to use his weaponized Justice Department against him,\u201d said Rev. Al Sharpton, the group\u2019s founder.<\/p>\n

Jack Pedigo and David Noriega contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tEbony Davis<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tEbony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW.\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\"MS<\/p>\n

\u00a9\u00a02026 Versant Media, LLC<\/p>\n

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