U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi confirmed Friday that four journalists in total were taken into federal custody in connection with an anti-immigration protest that allegedly disrupted worship at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. The protest, which occurred on January 18, drew national attention after demonstrators interrupted a service to protest alleged ties between church leadership and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In a post on X Friday morning, Bondi wrote:
“At my direction, early 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.”
Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, has argued his client was covering the event as a journalist, asserting that his actions are protected by the First Amendment. Fort, an independent journalist, was detained by federal agents on Friday while livestreaming her arrest on social media and questioning whether her press rights were being respected. Crews and Lundy are local activists linked to the same protest. Charges haven’t been fully detailed, but federal prosecutors are examining possible civil rights and interference with religious worship violations stemming from the incident.
The announcement renews debate among press freedom advocates and civil liberties groups over the role of journalists in covering protests and how federal authorities pursue charges tied to demonstrations.
