Judge Issues First Ruling After Don Lemon Arrested For ‘Church Invasion’
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was released Friday following a brief court appearance after federal prosecutors revived charges stemming from a disruptive protest inside a St. Paul church, escalating a case that had already been rejected by a magistrate judge just days earlier.
Lemon and eight other defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in U.S. District Court in Minnesota, accused of conspiring to interfere with religious worship and depriving congregants of their civil rights during a coordinated protest inside a house of worship. The incident has reignited debate over where political activism ends and criminal conduct begins.
According to The New York Times, the protest case had initially stalled after a magistrate judge declined to issue arrest warrants for most of the accused, citing insufficient evidence. Federal prosecutors later attempted—and failed—to compel additional warrants through an appeals court before ultimately securing a grand jury indictment.
Seven of the nine defendants have now appeared in court. Four, including Lemon, were released Friday.
Protest Inside Church Described as “Takeover Attack”
The 14-page indictment details a planned disruption known among organizers as “Operation Pullup.” Prosecutors allege demonstrators intentionally targeted the church because one of its pastors, David Easterwood, also serves as an ICE official.
As Easterwood began his sermon, the indictment says organizer Nekima Levy Armstrong interrupted proceedings, declaring loudly that “the time for judgment had come.” Other protesters allegedly shouted, blew whistles, and halted the service in what prosecutors described as a “takeover attack on the church.”
Members of the congregation reportedly perceived gestures by protesters as hostile and potentially violent. Prosecutors further allege Lemon and journalist Georgia Fort surrounded Pastor Easterwood, questioning him aggressively in a manner authorities characterize as intimidation.
Lemon Claims First Amendment Protection
Defense attorneys have framed the case as an assault on press freedom, arguing the charges criminalize journalism and political protest.
Late Friday afternoon, Lemon appeared in federal court in Los Angeles, where he had been taken into custody while covering the Grammy Awards. He wore a white suit as prosecutors requested a $100,000 bond and sought to restrict his travel to Minneapolis and New York, where Lemon resides. A magistrate judge denied both requests.
Lemon was released without bond and was not asked to enter a plea. His arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 9 in Minneapolis.
“I have spent my entire career covering the news,” Lemon said Friday outside the courthouse after being released without bond. “I will not stop now. 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.”
“I look forward to my day in court,” he added.
Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the indictment represents an unprecedented escalation.
“Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy Awards,” Lowell said. “Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done.”
“This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment will not stand,” Lowell added.
DOJ Push Comes Amid Immigration Enforcement Tensions
The revived case unfolds against the backdrop of heightened tensions in Minneapolis related to the Trump administration’s stepped-up immigration enforcement efforts. Federal agents have faced intense scrutiny following multiple fatal encounters with protesters, including the killing of Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse. Subsequent video evidence contradicted early official accounts of that incident.
President Donald J. Trump, now serving his second term, said Wednesday that he was open to de-escalating tensions in the region. He recently replaced Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino with border czar Tom Homan, who has signaled a willingness to coordinate with local officials while maintaining firm enforcement.
While Lemon and his supporters insist the case is about press freedom, federal prosecutors argue it is about protecting religious liberty and public order—not granting journalists immunity when activism crosses into disruption and intimidation inside a church.