To anyone who watch the footage on social media as the incident was unfolding and see from footage that Don Lemon was innocent this arrest requires pause, its heavy, it horrifying—its yet another moment where the road that carries us all forward feels rocky enough that one questions, are we taking the right route. It is with a heavy heart that we write in response to the arrest of journalist Don Lemon following his reporting in St. Paul, Minnesota.
By all available evidence — including video, audio, and transcripts — Don Lemon was present in the course of his work as a journalist, not as a protester. The decision to arrest a reporter for doing his job is deeply troubling. It is horrifying for Mr. Lemon personally, and damaging to public trust more broadly.
This incident is also profoundly harmful to the Republican Party and to President Trump. For those who have worked, often in good faith, to defend this administration’s policies and achievements, actions like this make that defense increasingly untenable. Each episode of apparent overreach erodes credibility and narrows the space for honest engagement with the public.
Here at Bearing Witness, our concern extends beyond this single arrest. We are deeply focused on the ongoing fraud investigation in Minnesota. Public confidence in the president and this administration has already been weakened by what many perceive as a heavy-handed governing approach. When power is exercised without restraint, the public grows resistant not only to the administration’s actions, but even to its legitimate accomplishments. Incidents like this do not persuade — they harden sentiment.
Perhaps those in power believe public support is no longer necessary. Perhaps they believe they have sufficient control when it comes to matters like fraud investigations. But history tells us otherwise. The issue of fraud in Minnesota is far from resolved. It did not emerge overnight, and it will not disappear through administrative action alone. It is a problem decades in the making, and it demands transparency, accountability, and cooperation.
There are many of us — across party lines — who still hope Americans can work together. Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike share a stake in resolving what is harming this country. That work becomes impossible when journalists are punished for bearing witness and when trust in institutions continues to erode. We urge restraint, accountability, and a renewed commitment to the principles that allow a free society to function: a free press, equal justice, and good-faith cooperation in pursuit of the common good. This arrest signals incoming declines in the administrations approval rating.
Former CNN anchor and independent journalist Don Lemon was taken into federal custody late Thursday night by U.S. authorities in Los Angeles in connection with a protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota earlier this month.
The incident, which occurred January 18 at the Cities Church in St. Paul, involved a group of anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters who entered during a live service. Organizers and participants have said they were confronting a pastor with ties to ICE.
Lemon, who left CNN in 2023 and now hosts his own independent media work, said he was at the event in a journalistic capacity — recording, interviewing, and live-streaming the protest as it unfolded. His legal team — particularly attorney Abbe Lowell — has condemned the arrest as an attack on press freedoms protected under the First Amendment.
What Authorities Say
The Justice Department, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, stated that Lemon and several others are being held accountable under federal laws that protect religious services from interference. Officials have emphasized their position that the protest disrupted worship and that participants, including Lemon, may have violated those statutes. Lemon was taken into custody while in Los Angeles covering another assignment (the Grammy Awards), according to his attorney, and is expected to appear in court in Los Angeles regarding these charges.
A Case With Legal Pushback
Before this arrest, a federal magistrate judge had previously refused to sign off on charging Lemon, citing a lack of probable cause relating to the protest — a decision that frustrated prosecutors and was upheld in follow-up court proceedings. This legal history is important: it shows a court explicitly questioning whether Lemon’s conduct constituted a crime before the federal government pursued this latest enforcement action.
Broader Context of the Protest
The protest itself grew out of broader tensions in Minnesota tied to immigration enforcement, particularly after separate high-profile incidents in the state involving ICE agents and the deaths of civilians. Authorities opened a civil rights investigation after demonstrators chanted slogans like “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good” during the church service. Several other activists linked to the protest were arrested days earlier on alleged civil rights violation charges for disrupting the service.
Press Freedom, Politics, and Public Reaction
Lemon’s supporters and many civil liberties advocates argue that his presence at the event was part of legitimate journalistic coverage, pointing to the First Amendment as crucial for journalists covering protests and public events. His lawyers have framed the arrest as a politically motivated move by the government to intimidate journalists and dissenting voices.
Critics — including some politicians and commentators — argue the legal action reflects a strict application of statutes meant to protect places of worship from disruption, regardless of who was present.
The case is unfolding against a backdrop of heightened national debate over immigration policy, federal enforcement practices, and media coverage — particularly involving actions by and responses to the Trump administration’s Justice Department.
What This Means Going Forward
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Legal Status: Charges against Lemon have been publicly pursued, though details of the statutes under which he may be prosecuted have not been fully disclosed.
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First Amendment Debate: The arrest has reinvigorated debate over press freedoms and what constitutes journalism versus participation in civil disobedience.
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Political Reactions: Figures across the political spectrum are weighing in, with intense criticism from both supporters of free press protections and those who argue the law must be applied equally to all participants in disruptive actions.
This remains a developing story, and further details — including official court filings, specific allegations, and responses from both Lemon’s defense and federal prosecutors — are expected in the coming days.
— Bearing Witness
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