ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Former CNN host turned independent journalist Don Lemon is set to be arraigned in federal court in Minnesota on Friday along with four other defendants who were indicted for their alleged roles in disrupting a service at a church where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official was a pastor.
Also scheduled for arraignment is civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, who was at the center of a controversy over a photo manipulated to falsely show her crying during her arrest. This incident is linked to broader tensions surrounding the activities of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
The arraignment will involve the entering of pleas and scheduling of future court proceedings. It remains uncertain whether Lemon will be present in court or if his legal team will handle the proceedings on his behalf. His attorney, Joe Thompson, has not provided further comments leading up to the hearing.
Among the total of nine defendants charged in the case, two additional defendants including independent journalist Georgia Fort will be arraigned next week.
Lemon has previously indicated he plans to plead not guilty to federal civil rights charges stemming from his involvement in covering the protest against a Southern Baptist church in St. Paul.
During the protest, demonstrators shouted phrases like “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” referencing a woman who was fatally shot by an ICE agent. Lemon asserts he was there solely as a journalist and not participating in the protest, maintaining his commitment to independent media.
The case has drawn widespread attention, reflecting the ongoing debate surrounding immigration enforcement in the U.S., and has raised questions about freedom of the press in the context of civil rights and community protests against government actions.
