Don Lemon attends the premiere of the fourth season of the TV show "The Morning Show" in New York City, U.S., September 9, 2025. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
(Minneapolis, Minnesota) – A federal judge in Minnesota has declined to approve criminal charges against Don Lemon stemming from an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, according to sources familiar with the case. The decision blocks at least for now – the Justice Department’s effort to charge Lemon over his presence at the protest.
Sources say Pam Bondi was “enraged” by the magistrate’s refusal to sign the complaint. Bondi has spent days in Minnesota as the Justice Department surged prosecutors and law enforcement into the state, though officials cautioned the case against Lemon may not be fully closed and other legal avenues could still be explored.
While charges against Lemon were rejected, the magistrate judge did approve charges against two other individuals connected to the protest: Nekima Levy Armstrong, a local activist, and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, a member of the St. Paul School Board. Kristi Noem said Armstrong is being charged under 18 U.S.C. § 241, a federal civil rights statute that prohibits conspiracies to interfere with constitutionally protected rights, including the free exercise of religion.
The protest took place inside Cities Church after demonstrators learned that one of the pastors was also an official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Lemon, a former CNN anchor now working independently, attended the protest and later cited First Amendment protections for speech and assembly when questioned about his role.
The magistrate’s pushback echoes recent tensions between federal prosecutors and judges over aggressive charging strategies. Last year, magistrate judges in Washington, D.C., rejected or saw prosecutors dismiss a sharply higher share of cases after the Trump administration ordered broad federal crackdowns, raising concerns about constitutional overreach. For now, Lemon avoids charges, while the broader legal fight over protests, press freedom, and federal enforcement continues.
