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ST. PAUL, Minn. — Don Lemon, previously a host on CNN and now an independent journalist, is among five individuals facing federal civil rights charges. These charges stem from their involvement in a protest at a Minnesota church, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official serves as a pastor. The arraignment is set for Friday.
As he made his way into the courthouse, Lemon chose not to address the reporters present.
Also facing arraignment is Nekima Levy Armstrong, a well-known civil rights attorney and activist. She recently found herself at the center of controversy over a digitally manipulated photo circulated by the official White House social media. The image falsely depicted her in tears during her arrest and is part of a wave of AI-generated images that have been spreading since federal officers fatally shot Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis during the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.
Joe Thompson, Lemon’s legal representative, has not responded to requests for comments this week. Typically, federal court arraignments involve the defendants entering their pleas and scheduling subsequent court dates. Lemon has expressed his intention to plead not guilty.
Next week, two additional defendants involved in the protest at the Southern Baptist church in St. Paul are due for arraignment, including Georgia Fort, another independent journalist. In total, nine individuals have been charged in this case.
Protesters interrupted a service at Cities Church on Jan. 18 by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” referring to the 37-year-old mother of three who was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis last month. Lemon has said he is not affiliated with the group and that he was there as a journalist to chronicle the event for his livestream show.
“I have spent my entire career covering the news. I will not stop now. In fact, there 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,” Lemon told reporters after his arrest.
The church protest drew sharp complaints from conservative religious and political leaders. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned in a social media post: “President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship.” Even clergy who oppose the administration’s immigration enforcement tactics expressed discomfort.
All nine are charged under the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which prohibits interference or intimidation of “any person by force, threat of force, or physical obstruction exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.” Penalties can range up to a year in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
Thompson is one of several former prosecutors who have left the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office in recent weeks citing frustration with the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown in the state and the Justice Department’s response to the killing of Good and Pretti.
One of four lawyers registered to represent Lemon, Thompson had led the sprawling investigation of major public program fraud cases for the prosecutors office until he resigned last month. The Trump administration has cited the fraud cases, in which most defendants have come from the state’s large Somali community, as justification for its immigration crackdown.