Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort Arrested in Federal Crackdown
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon and independent Minnesota journalist Georgia Fort were arrested by federal authorities and NBC News this morning in connection with their coverage of an anti-ICE protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Lemon was arrested late Thursday night by federal agents in Los Angeles while covering the Grammy Awards for NBC News, according to his attorney, Abbe Lowell. Fort was arrested Friday morning at her home in Minnesota, NPR posting video of federal agents at her door moments before she was taken into custody.
The Charges
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrests of Lemon, Fort, and two others—Trahern Jeen Crews and Jamael Lydell Lundy—describing the church protest as a "coordinated attack," according to NBC News. The Department of Homeland Security stated that charges include conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshipers.
The protest occurred at a church whose pastor allegedly works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, during the federal government's ongoing immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.
Press Freedom Concerns
Journalism groups and politicians have strongly condemned the arrests. The Knight First Amendment Institute said, "Reporting on protests isn't a crime—it's protected by the First Amendment" (NPR). The Committee to Protect Journalists called the arrests "a critical threat to our human rights."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke out against the arrest on the Senate floor, calling it "a dark message to journalists everywhere" and saying, "That is not democracy... that is a police state" (NPR).
According to ABC News, a federal judge in Minnesota said that Lemon and his producer were "not protesters at all" and that there was "no evidence that those two engaged in any criminal behavior or conspired to do so."
About Georgia Fort
Fort is a known figure in Minnesota press circles who has won regional awards and served as an officer of the National Association of Black Journalists Minnesota chapter NPR. Her arrest has particularly alarmed local journalism organizations, with advocates emphasizing that she was covering the protest as a working journalist providing for her children.
The White House mocked Lemon's arrest on social media, captioning it with a chain emoji and an image from inside the church, thereby intensifying criticism of the administration's approach to press freedom.