Judge Rejects Charge Against Don Lemon, 3 Protesters Arrested |

A civil rights legal professional and no less than two different individuals have been arrested after disrupting a Minnesota church service to protest ICE. Trump administration officers confirmed the arrests on Thursday. Meanwhile, a decide declined to approve associated expenses in opposition to Don Lemon. On Sunday, protesters entered the Cities Church in St. Paul, the place a neighborhood official with ICE serves as a pastor. This comes after Trump officers and even Nicki Minaj referred to as for the journalist to be arrested and charged over his media protection of the protest.

RELATED: Whew! Nicki Minaj Seemingly Hints At Turning Up The Heat After Don Lemon Accused Her Of Using Slur Against Him

Judge Rejects Charges Against Don Lemon

A decide rejected federal prosecutors’ bid to cost Don Lemon associated to the church protest, an individual acquainted with the matter stated Thursday. The particular person spoke to the Associated Press on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to debate the continued investigation publicly.

Don Lemon was amongst those that entered the church. He has stated he’s not affiliated with the protest organizers. He was there as a journalist overlaying the protest.

“Once the protest began within the church, we did an act of journalism which was to report on it and discuss to the individuals concerned, together with the pastor, members of the church, and members of the group,” Lemon stated in a video posted on social media. “That’s it. That’s referred to as journalism.”

It wasn’t instantly clear what the Justice Department would do after the decide’s resolution. Authorities might return to a Justice of the Peace decide to once more search a legal grievance or an indictment in opposition to Lemon earlier than a grand jury. CNN, which fired Lemon in 2023, first reported the ruling.

Details On Protesters Arrested In Connection To Minnesota Church Disruption

New developments within the case unfolded as Vice President JD Vance arrived in Minnesota. The Justice Department shortly opened a civil rights investigation after the group interrupted providers by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good.” An ICE officer fatally shot the 37-year-old mom of three in Minneapolis earlier this month.

Attorney General Pam Bondi introduced the arrest of Nekima Levy Armstrong in a post on X.

“Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,” the legal professional normal wrote on X.

Levy Armstrong is a longtime activist within the Twin Cities metropolitan space. She is a former president of the NAACP’s Minneapolis department. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted a photograph on X of Levy Armstrong along with her arms behind her again subsequent to an individual sporting a badge. Noem stated she faces a cost beneath a statute that bars threatening or intimidating somebody exercising a proper.

Homeland Security Investigators and FBI brokers arrested Nekima Levy Armstrong who performed a key position in orchestrating the Church Riots in St. Paul, Minnesota.

She is being charged with a federal crime beneath 18 USC 241.

Religious freedom is the bedrock of the United States -… pic.twitter.com/O9yp4nRio1

— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) January 22, 2026

Bondi later posted on X {that a} second particular person had been arrested, Chauntyll Louisa Allen. FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X that Allen is charged beneath the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. The legislation prohibits bodily obstructing or utilizing the specter of power to intimidate or intrude with an individual looking for reproductive well being providers or looking for to take part in a service at a home of worship.

Allen is a member of the board of schooling in Saint Paul Public Schools, which stated it was conscious of her arrest however is not going to touch upon pending authorized issues. Allen and Levy Armstrong are a part of a group of Black Minnesota activists who’ve protested the deaths of African Americans by the hands of police.

Patel stated a 3rd particular person, William Kelly, was in custody. Kelly defended the protest throughout a information convention Tuesday. He criticized the church for its affiliation with a pastor who works for ICE.

Every final particular person who allegedly targets our courageous federal legislation enforcement, targets locations of worship, or in any means pays for or facilitates such criminal activity shall be pursued.

And shall be caught. pic.twitter.com/SgHd8oklZe

— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) January 22, 2026

Church Attorney Reacts To The Arrest

Cities Church belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention and lists one in every of its pastors as David Easterwood. David leads the native ICE area workplace. Many Baptist church buildings have pastors who additionally work different jobs. Attorneys representing the church hailed the arrests.

“The U.S. Department of Justice acted decisively by arresting those that coordinated and carried out the horrible crime,” stated Doug Wardlow, director of litigation for True North Legal. The firm calls itself a public curiosity civil rights agency, in an announcement.

Prominent leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention have come to the church’s protection. Leaders argue that compassion for migrant households doesn’t justify violating a sacred house throughout worship.