Bondi Announces 2 New Arrests Connected To Don Lemon Incident

Bondi Announces Two New Arrests Connected to Don Lemon Incident: A Turning Point in a Contentious Federal Case

In early February 2026, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that federal authorities had made two more arrests related to an anti-ICE protest that occurred at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota on January 18. The protest — and the government’s response — have ignited a heated national debate that touches on civil liberties, the role of the media, religious freedom, immigration policy, and federal power.

With nine people now facing federal civil rights charges, including well-known journalist Don Lemon, the case is shaping up to be one of the most politically charged prosecutions of the year — and a flashpoint for competing interpretations of justice, protest rights, and national priorities.

In this post, we’ll explore what happened, who was arrested, why the authorities are acting, and why this controversy has captured so much attention.

What Happened at Cities Church? A Snapshot of the Incident

The incident began on January 18, 2026, when a group of anti-immigration enforcement protesters entered Cities Church in St. Paul during a Sunday service to protest federal immigration policies. Protesters were chanting slogans like “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” the name of a woman who had been killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis earlier in the month — events that had already galvanized strong emotions in the community.

One notable aspect of the protest was the fact that one of the pastors of Cities Church, David Easterwood, also served as the head of the ICE field office in St. Paul — a dual role that some protesters seized upon to justify targeting the church as a symbolic location.

The protest was disruptive: demonstrators entered the sanctuary while a service was underway, leading to confusion and concern among worshippers. Law enforcement investigated and ultimately treated the incident not as a spontaneous church disruption but as a coordinated action that interfered with worshippers’ rights.

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