A protest that spilled into the pews of a St. Paul church has now followed Don Lemon all the way to Los Angeles, where federal agents arrested the journalist late Thursday in connection with a Jan. 18 demonstration that interrupted a worship service at Cities Church, his lawyer and federal officials said. The arrest is the latest twist in a weeks-long fight over federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota, landing in the middle of a fast-growing wave of anti-ICE actions across the country.
Arrest at a Beverly Hills hotel
Federal agents took Lemon into custody at a Beverly Hills hotel, and he was expected to appear in federal court in Los Angeles, his attorney Abbe Lowell said, according to AP. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told reporters the case includes allegations of conspiracy and violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and 18 U.S.C. §241, as reported by People.
Inside the Cities Church protest
About three dozen demonstrators entered Cities Church during a Sunday service, chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renée Good,” according to footage from the scene. Lemon livestreamed the disruption, interviewing parishioners and protesters before he was asked to leave, a Post review found. Prosecutors say the action interfered with worship because one of the church’s pastors works in a local ICE office, and federal authorities opened a civil-rights probe after the service was halted, as The Washington Post reports.
Nationwide ‘ICE Out’ actions
In response, organizers called for an economic “blackout,” and more than 1,000 events were scheduled for Friday, with tens of thousands turning out in Minneapolis and actions reported in dozens of other cities, per RNZ. Student walkouts, business closures and large street rallies were among the tactics used to pressure elected officials over the surge in federal immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities.
Legal questions and press freedom
Legal experts and press-freedom advocates say using the FACE Act against people who entered a house of worship to protest, and against journalists who documented the action, raises novel constitutional issues. The National Association of Black Journalists and other groups have voiced alarm, and court fights over sealed indictments and earlier magistrate rulings are already underway, according to reporting by LAist.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrests on social media, prompting sharply divided reactions: church leaders praised the move while civil-rights organizations warned of government overreach. For now, the “ICE Out” actions and the unfolding legal battles appear set to keep the Twin Cities and other protest hubs in the national spotlight into the weekend, per The Guardian.
