MN - Journalist Don Lemon arrested for church protest, Minneapolis, 18 Jan 2026

[CSIDreamer]

Okay, I see my error now, this is not the document I thought you were referencing. I thought you were referring to the document we discussed yesterday with the court caption but this is an affidavit in support of that GJ indictment doc. Thank you, off to read.

Enjoy. Looking forward to your observations!

 

[LAborn]

Who is David Easterwood? Protestors say pastor is ICE official

Protesters disrupted a service at a church in St. Paul, alleging one of its pastors leads the local ICE field office.

www.newsweek.com

"David Easterwood, who leads the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in St. Paul, also apparently serves as a pastor at a church that was disrupted by protesters on Sunday."

Hard to serve all your congregation if you're working for ICE.

"Whitaker’s view illuminates what the MAGA freakout over this protest is ignoring: that freedom of religion is not a shield against criticism of a church’s teachings, especially when those teachings are impacting the lives of other people. Cities Church, he said, “is home to a pastor that works for a federal agency kidnapping brown-skinned immigrants and killing unarmed citizens.” The anti-empathy and bigoted views taught inside the church are directly affecting people outside of it."

"Joe Rigney, one of Cities Church’s founders, has recently become a MAGA media darling because he, along with podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey, has been pushing the idea that empathy is a sin. He now serves as associate pastor at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, a congregation led by Doug Wilson, a pastor who has praised race relations under slavery and denounced women’s suffrage, to argue that people are “being manipulated by empathy.” Rigney’s misogyny is never far from the surface, including when he denounced empathy as evidence that “feminism is a cancer” because it allows women to move beyond just being “life-givers and nurturers” and into public spaces, where their allegedly toxic compassion is a “curse.”' The pro-ICE church is worse than you think

 

[Barbb]

Who is David Easterwood? Protestors say pastor is ICE official

Protesters disrupted a service at a church in St. Paul, alleging one of its pastors leads the local ICE field office.

www.newsweek.com

"David Easterwood, who leads the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in St. Paul, also apparently serves as a pastor at a church that was disrupted by protesters on Sunday."

Hard to serve all your congregation if you're working for ICE.

Don Lemon has been charged with violating federal laws related to religious freedom after participating in a protest that disrupted a worship service at a Minnesota church. The charges stem from allegations that he conspired to interfere with the First Amendment rights of worshippers during the protest against an immigration enforcement official who served as a pastor at the church.

There are many church groups out there with different views. The Satanic Temple is recognized as a religious organization and claims the right to religious freedom under the First Amendment, advocating for civil rights and the separation of church and state.

 

[LAborn]

Don Lemon has been charged with violating federal laws related to religious freedom after participating in a protest that disrupted a worship service at a Minnesota church. The charges stem from allegations that he conspired to interfere with the First Amendment rights of worshippers during the protest against an immigration enforcement official who served as a pastor at the church.

There are many church groups out there with different views. The Satanic Temple is recognized as a religious organization and claims the right to religious freedom under the First Amendment, advocating for civil rights and the separation of church and state.

Lemon is a journalist who was not part of the protest. He's on audio stating he was only there documenting and not part of the group. That's the profession of journalism to witness and report. His rights are protected under the 1st amendment--"Freedom of the press". https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/

First Amendment​

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Lastly, these same charges were thrown out by another federal magistrate two weeks ago because they are baseless.

 

[keek]

How does Don discussing if he can go in or not prove he was a protestor or part of the planning process of the protest? To me it shows that he’s considering himself as a journalist/member of the press. Journalists don’t not cover stories just because the people they are covering may be breaking a law. All just MOO.

Who is David Easterwood? Protestors say pastor is ICE official

Protesters disrupted a service at a church in St. Paul, alleging one of its pastors leads the local ICE field office.

www.newsweek.com

"David Easterwood, who leads the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in St. Paul, also apparently serves as a pastor at a church that was disrupted by protesters on Sunday."

Hard to serve all your congregation if you're working for ICE.

"Whitaker’s view illuminates what the MAGA freakout over this protest is ignoring: that freedom of religion is not a shield against criticism of a church’s teachings, especially when those teachings are impacting the lives of other people. Cities Church, he said, “is home to a pastor that works for a federal agency kidnapping brown-skinned immigrants and killing unarmed citizens.” The anti-empathy and bigoted views taught inside the church are directly affecting people outside of it."

"Joe Rigney, one of Cities Church’s founders, has recently become a MAGA media darling because he, along with podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey, has been pushing the idea that empathy is a sin. He now serves as associate pastor at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, a congregation led by Doug Wilson, a pastor who has praised race relations under slavery and denounced women’s suffrage, to argue that people are “being manipulated by empathy.” Rigney’s misogyny is never far from the surface, including when he denounced empathy as evidence that “feminism is a cancer” because it allows women to move beyond just being “life-givers and nurturers” and into public spaces, where their allegedly toxic compassion is a “curse.”' The pro-ICE church is worse than you think

One of Kirk's comments that went viral of course was that he did not believe in empathy. There you go. The movement. IMO

 

[otto]

I agree, the church’s affiliation is somewhat irrelevant to the discussion. My only thought is in order for the DOJ to win this case, they will have to show proof that Mr Lemon conspired with the protestors to plan this demonstration, and that he acted as a protestor and not a journalist by doing that. As I stated before, we do not need to debate if Don Lemon is a journalist - we all know he is (whether or not we like him or agree with his stance and how he reports the news). He IS a journalist. He was in that church as a journalist, he stated this many times. But to me, the only way the DOJ will win is if they prove he was part of the planning of the protest. Otherwise, his first amendment rights as a journalist override any Congressional acts. All MOO.

There are some paragraphs in the indictment that suggest more involvement than that of independent observer and journalist. For example, Lemon attending a meeting with organizers that were gearing up for a resistance operation against the government might be a problem. Maybe it doesn't matter.

If protesters had done this at any location other than a church, no one would object. If reporting had been done outside the church, again, not a problem.

The issue that I think is problematic is taking a protest inside a church during a religious meeting where children are present. Why is there a complete absence of respect for the rights of those children? In my opinion, it muddies the cause when the rights of others are violated during that "resistance operation".

That is, they violate the rights of others while objecting the the violation of the rights of others. It becomes: do as I say, not as I do.

My understanding is that, initially, the target of the protest was a man who was not at the church. Then the target moved and became an allegation that people who attend the church are white-supremacists.

The goal was resistance against federal immigration policy. Was anyone in the church during the protest responsible for immigration policy?

Don Lemon indictment

www.documentcloud.org

 

[Cryptic]

Of course I can't find the video now, but Don Lemon is on audio/video saying he was there to document, he wasn't part of the protest (someone asked him at the time, in the church)

It might not matter. The law appears to state that it is illegal for anybody to disrupt a church service. That might include a journalist barging into "interview" people.

I strongly suspect that there why only the indies showed up.

 

[Barbb]

Lemon is a journalist who was not part of the protest. He's on audio stating he was only there documenting and not part of the group. That's the profession of journalism to witness and report. His rights are protected under the 1st amendment--"Freedom of the press". https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/

First Amendment​

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Lastly, these same charges were thrown out by another federal magistrate two weeks ago because they are baseless.

"He's on audio stating he was only there documenting and not part of the group". Of course he would say this. His motivation not to be charged with violating federal laws.

Don Lemon and the protesters allegedly engaged in intimidating behavior that obstructed church members from exiting, causing fear among children and congregants during the disruption. There is video evidence of that.

 

[LAborn]

"He's on audio stating he was only there documenting and not part of the group". Of course he would say this. His motivation not to be charged with violating federal laws.

Don Lemon and the protesters allegedly engaged in intimidating behavior that obstructed church members from exiting, causing fear among children and congregants during the disruption. There is video evidence of that.

He's a journalist for over 30 years!!! I was watching his stream on that day, he was reporting on the ground in Minnesota, and someone suggested he check out the church. He had no idea what was going on prior. All his videos are posted on his Youtube channel if you want to see for yourself. Highly recommend.

"A journalist is a professional who gathers, writes, and reports on news and current events. They are responsible for investigating and uncovering important information, and presenting it to the public through various mediums such as newspapers, magazines, television, and online publications. Journalists play a critical role in informing the public and holding those in power accountable. They must possess strong research, writing, and interviewing skills, as well as the ability to think critically and objectively." https://jobs.community.kaplan.com/career/journalist

 

[bearfossils]

It might not matter. The law appears to state that it is illegal for anybody to disrupt a church service. That might include a journalist barging into "interview" people.

I strongly suspect that there why only the indies showed up.

If I build a building, put in some pews, and nail a cross to the wall, do I make myself immediately immune from criticism, protesting, or “disruptions” of any kind? Do you get to talk about how much you hate women and brown people as much as you want as long as you cloak yourself as “church”? Is free speech and protest limited to the rest of us if we don’t adhere to a religion, despite living in a country where we have the freedom of religion and from religion? What about separation of church and state? If the State repeatedly aligns itself with churches of a certain kind, then doesn’t our right to protest extend to the incestuous relationship that has been unconstitutionally woven between them?

 

[LAborn]

 

[Ontario Mom]

Why is there a complete absence of respect for the rights of those children?

Good question. At least one of the protesters that Lemon was with, was screaming in their faces and telling them their parents were going to hell, and that their parents worshipped Satan. Those kids (and their parents) were horrified.

Mind boggling that this doesn't infuriate everyone but here we are.

 

[LAborn]

Good question. At least one of the protesters that Lemon was with, was screaming in their faces and telling them their parents were going to hell, and that their parents worshipped Satan. Those kids (and their parents) were horrified.

Mind boggling that this doesn't infuriate everyone but here we are.

Lemon wasn't "with" any of the protesters, he is/was a journalist covering a story. Like journalist do.

 

[Rolypolyoly]

Is one of the questions: when someone posts on social media that they intend to violate federal law, such as the FACE Act (or any other law), should journalists rush to the scene to film the violation of law? Should journalists interview the persons whose rights have been violated to ask how it feels?

Is that journalism, or voyeurism?

Seems like very obvious journalism to me!

 

[otto]

Good question. At least one of the protesters that Lemon was with, was screaming in their faces and telling them their parents were going to hell, and that their parents worshipped Satan. Those kids (and their parents) were horrified.

Mind boggling that this doesn't infuriate everyone but here we are.

Protesting the violation of rights in the US is necessary, but scaring children and other people in a church is not really any different than immigration officers arresting a 5 year old child to scare his father. Using children to achieve a goal is where everyone, including journalists, should draw the line.

 

[Summerliz03]

Good question. At least one of the protesters that Lemon was with, was screaming in their faces and telling them their parents were going to hell, and that their parents worshipped Satan. Those kids (and their parents) were horrified.

Mind boggling that this doesn't infuriate everyone but here we are.

I’ve stated in this thread and agreed with other posters that protesting inside any church should not happen. That goes even for churches who message I don’t agree with - that’s why we have freedom of religion.

What the thread is about is if Don Lemon acted as a protestor or a journalist. Was Don Lemon screaming in people’s faces? Was he physically blocking doorways? Was he threatening people or calling them names? If he did, we need to see proof. If he colluded with and was part of the planning process of the protest, we need to see proof. That is the entire basis of the case - not whether protesters were wrong to protest inside a church. It’s if Don Lemon was a protestor or a journalist. The DOJ must prove this. I personally do not believe they have enough evidence to prove this, but I’m open to changing my mind if we see proof of him being an active protestor or helping to plan the event.

All MOO.

 

[Ontario Mom]

Lemon wasn't "with" any of the protesters, he is/was a journalist covering a story. Like journalist do.

Clearly we disagree. The grand jury also disagreed, which is why he was indicted.
So, I'll leave it at that.

 

[otto]

Good question. At least one of the protesters that Lemon was with, was screaming in their faces and telling them their parents were going to hell, and that their parents worshipped Satan. Those kids (and their parents) were horrified.

Mind boggling that this doesn't infuriate everyone but here we are.

Telling children that they are in the house of the devil could permanently scar young children. Hands up don't shoot could result in children and their families fearing that someone has a gun and that they will be shot.

It sounds like it was a traumatic experience for people attending church that morning ... in my opinion ...

FBI affidavit in suport of arrest warrant | PDF | U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement | American Government

This affidavit, submitted by Special Agent Timothy Gerber, outlines the investigation into a group of agitators who disrupted a religious service at Cities Church in St. Paul, MN on January 18, 2026. The group, led by Nekima Valdez Levy-Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, coordinated their...

www.scribd.com

 

[Ontario Mom]

I’ve stated in this thread and agreed with other posters that protesting inside any church should not happen. That goes even for churches who message I don’t agree with - that’s why we have freedom of religion.

What the thread is about is if Don Lemon acted as a protestor or a journalist. Was Don Lemon screaming in people’s faces? Was he physically blocking doorways? Was he threatening people or calling them names? If he did, we need to see proof. If he colluded with and was part of the planning process of the protest, we need to see proof. That is the entire basis of the case - not whether protesters were wrong to protest inside a church. It’s if Don Lemon was a protestor or a journalist. The DOJ must prove this. I personally do not believe they have enough evidence to prove this, but I’m open to changing my mind if we see proof of him being an active protestor or helping to plan the event.

All MOO.

It's good to know you agree protesting in churches should not happen.

I believe (based on what I know) and the grand jury believed based on all the evidence they had available to them, that Don Lemon was indeed with the protestors inside the church, engaging in utterly inexcusable behavior, violating federal law.

jmo

 

[LAborn]

Clearly we disagree. The grand jury also disagreed, which is why he was indicted.
So, I'll leave it at that.

I'm actually shocked anyone would support an American journalist being arrested for practicing journalism. Scary times in America.