ICE protests spread; Don Lemon released after arrest; DOJ launches civil rights probe into Alex Pretti's death in Minneapolis
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Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested in connection with a protest at a Minnesota church service earlier this month.
What we know
- Demonstrations against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement unfolded across the country today, including a student walkout in New York City as well as protests in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Texas and elsewhere.
- The Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights probe into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said.
- Former CNN anchor Don Lemon and three others were arrested by federal authorities in connection with a protest at a Minnesota church service earlier this month. The Department of Homeland Security said Lemon was charged with conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshippers.
- President Donald Trump and Senate Democrats struck a deal last night to avert a prolonged government shutdown — after the killings of Renee Good and Pretti threatened to upend a potential deal.
- Border czar Tom Homan outlined yesterday how federal authorities are working on an eventual "drawdown plan" in Minnesota.
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Journalist Georgia Fort says she was arrested in front of her children
Journalist Georgia Fort, who was charged along with Lemon in the federal case stemming from their reporting on a protest at a St. Paul church, said she was arrested at her home early today, in front of her children.
“Nearly two dozen federal agents surrounded my home at 6 a.m., shortly after my husband left for work,” she told NBC News by email. “As the mother of three daughters, ages 7 to 17, it was heartbreaking to have my children begin their day this way.”
Fort went live on Facebook in the moments leading up to her arrest, titling the resulting video, “Agents are at my door.”
“My 17-year-old daughter witnessed everything and is old enough to understand the context: I am a journalist who was arrested for doing my job, despite the constitutional protections afforded to the press,” Fort said, but that it is “deeply difficult” for her daughter to understand why.
She said her arrest “sends a chilling message” to reporters, that they can be arrested for doing the work, but Fort said it wouldn’t stop her.
“Journalism is not a crime,” she said. “I remain committed to being a beacon of truth.”
Mother recounts the terror of seeing her 5-year-old son being taken by ICE
The mother of a 5-year-old boy who was taken with his father in Minnesota last week described her anguish as she watched from a window as immigration agents whisked her child and partner away.
Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrián Alexander Conejo Arias, were returning from Liam’s preschool on Jan. 20 when they were confronted by immigration agents, according to Zena Stenvik, the superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools.
Erika Ramos, Liam’s mother, told Telemundo in Spanish that she “witnessed the scene from the window and couldn’t do anything. Adrián begged me repeatedly not to go outside because he was afraid they would arrest me too.”
Ramos said the immigration officers noticed her, took Liam out of their car and brought him to the front door so she would open it.
“They knocked and knocked, and my son Liam kept saying, ‘Mommy, open the door.’ I was terrified,” she said while sobbing.
Los Angeles mayor says multiple arrests made in protests
There had been at least five arrests in Los Angeles after protests against ICE in the city, Mayor Karen Bass said tonight.
The arrests were were related to allegations of failure to disperse, Bass said at a news conference.
Police move crowd back in Los Angeles, announce arrests
Helicopter video showed police in downtown Los Angeles advancing in a line as a diminished crowd retreated after an unlawful assembly had been declared.
Demonstrations against ICE were held downtown, but the LAPD said that bottles and other debris had been thrown at federal authorities at a federal building, and authorities responded with pepper balls and tear gas.
The LAPD closed traffic in the area and then issued an order to disperse.
The LAPD Central Division said on X that arrests of what they called "violent agitators" have been made.
"Arrests of violent agitators are now being made after several dispersal orders were issued," the LAPD said.
Police said that most of the protesters have dispersed, but a small group remained and they gave them 5 minutes to leave or face arrest.
Minneapolis protesters want to send a message with demonstration
Thousands of protesters shut down the streets downtown today, demanding that federal ICE and DHS officers leave the city. It was part of a nationwide ICE protest that encouraged a strike with no work, no school and no shopping to send the message that people here have had enough.
“They are furious, and it goes beyond simply an occupation, but when they start murdering innocent people, that’s the line,” John Katz said.
Trump told reporters last night that he has no plans to pull back from Minneapolis after his administration had said they would hours earlier.
Several protesters told NBC News that the change in tone left them unsurprised.
“This administration has done nothing but lied to us. So we have to start striking,” Ashley Jarsoch said. “We have to make economic impact to affect change, to make this administration listen. They’re not going to listen otherwise.”
“He’s got an agenda, and it’s not an American first agenda, it’s an oppression agenda, and we just need to stop that,” Katz said.
Protesters say right now the city is “really furious” despite being historically known as the Nice state — and they hope for a future where tensions de-escalate.
“We’re trying to do it in a very peaceful way, express our anger and our frustration,” Mitch Katz said. “Ultimately, we want to give a light to the world and show love and companionship around us, and stop off the intruders.”
“It’s a lot of heartbreak, but also a lot of unity,” Jarosch added, saying the community has banded together to support each other this winter.
LAPD declares tactical alert after it says bottles and objects thrown outside federal building
Pepper balls were fired by federal authorities in downtown Los Angeles after members of a crowd threw bottles and other debris during ICE protests, and police declared it an “unlawful assembly.”
“Due to violent agitators on Alameda between Temple and Aliso the City of Los Angeles has gone to TACTICAL ALERT,” the LAPD said on X.
“Federal Authorities are taking debris, bottles and other objects. Federal Authorities have declared an Unlawful Assembly at the Detention Center and they have deployed pepper balls and tear gas,” it said.
Helicopter video from NBC Los Angeles showed demonstrators outside an entrance to a federal building downtown, while officers with riot shields were inside facing out.
Some people pushed a large red construction-style dumpster that had been spraypainted with slogans against the Metropolitan Detention Center, near the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building, helicopter video from NBC Los Angeles showed.
Anti-ICE slogans had also been spray-painted on structures outside the entrance and on the building.
The crowd later marched on downtown streets. Police closed traffic in an area where the protesters were, and the crowd seemed to diminish but remained on the other side of a police line downtown, the video showed.
The tactical alert means the police department can pull resources from the rest of the city to respond downtown, NBC Los Angeles reported.
New York Press club says White House steering U.S. into 'dangerous territory'
The New York Press club today accused the White House of acting in ways that threaten the rights of citizens, including journalists.
“Numerous actions in the past year by the White House steer the U.S. into more and more dangerous territory as the rights of its citizens, in this case journalists, are negated,” the organization said in a statement.
“No matter one’s political affiliation, the breach of First Amendment rights, without any credible legal justification, nullifies the freedoms Americans have enjoyed for almost 250 years,” it said.
“Political leaders, government officials, media enterprises and private citizens ought to be speaking out against these infringements to make certain that the U.S. does not lose the democracy our ancestors fought so hard to enshrine in our system of government and daily life. To do anything else is unthinkable,” the Press Club said.
Senate passes bill to resolve shutdown clash, punting on DHS for 2 weeks
With time running out to prevent a government shutdown, the Senate passed legislation this evening that would fund most departments through the end of September, with one exception: the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement.
DHS is funded on a short-term basis for just two weeks, a demand by Democrats as they insist on changes to rein in ICE and Customs and Border Protection after two high-profile killings of American citizens in Minneapolis by immigration agents.
The vote was 71-29.
The bill is the product of a deal between President Donald Trump and Senate Democratic leaders. It now goes to the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told members on a call today that he plans to hold a vote on it Monday, a source with knowledge said. That means there’ll be only a brief shutdown for most of the federal government starting on Saturday when money runs out.
Protests against ICE unfold across the country
Protests and walkouts are unfolding across the country to denounce ICE and the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
This morning, students in Redondo Beach, California, and Austin, Texas, protested outside of their schools; people gathered in Knoxville, Tennessee, carrying signs that said “ICE out of our communities”; and hundreds paraded down streets in Goodyear, near Phoenix, Arizona.
'I will not be silenced,' Don Lemon says outside courthouse after release
Don Lemon exited the courthouse after his release to a chorus of cheers from onlookers, where he vowed, "I will not be silenced."
He thanked the public for its support and doubled down on the duty of the press and protection enshrined in the First Amendment.
“I have spent my entire career covering the news. I will not stop now. In fact, there is no more important time than right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable,” he said. “I will not stop now. I will not stop ever.”
He briefly recalled how agents arrested him in the middle of the night.
“I look forward to my day in court. Thank you all,” he said.
Protest crowds grow across Los Angeles, Southern California
Crowds of people gathered at demonstrations today in Los Angeles over immigration policies and enforcement operations in Minneapolis and other cities.
Rallies started at Gloria Molina Grand Park in the city’s downtown area and at locations around Southern California in a nationwide day of action seeking to stop funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Crowds also began gathering ahead of what was expected to be the region’s largest rally, outside Los Angeles City Hall and the adjacent Grand Park. By the scheduled 1 p.m. PT start, a throng of over 1,000 people had gathered in the park.
Video from the scene showed deputies standing guard behind razor wire surrounding the Hall of Justice, home to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department offices.
Additional protests were planned this afternoon outside Burbank City Hall, at Abbott Kinney and Venice boulevards in Venice, and at the intersection of Valencia Boulevard and McBean Parkway in Santa Clarita. In Orange County, an afternoon rally was scheduled at the intersection of Camino Capistrano and Del Obispo Street in San Juan Capistrano.
Don Lemon will appear next in Minneapolis court on Feb. 9
Don Lemon plans to plead not guilty, his local attorney in the case, Marilyn Bednarski, said in court.
Under the terms of Lemon's personal recognizance bond, he can travel freely and keep his passport but needs approval for international travel.
He also must avoid contact with any victims or witnesses in the case.
He's next set to appear in court in Minneapolis on Feb. 9.
Don Lemon will be released on own recognizance, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass says
Don Lemon will be released on his own recognizance, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told reporters outside the courthouse where the journalist appeared for his arraignment in downtown Los Angeles.
"Esteemed reporter Don Lemon will be released on his own recognizance because he should not have been in court anyway," Bass said.
He was arrested by federal authorities last night and charged with federal civil rights crimes stemming from an ICE protest he covered at a Minnesota church service earlier this month.
He’s charged with conspiracy against rights of religious freedom at a place of worship, and injuring, intimidating and interfering with exercise of right of religious freedom at a place of worship, according to the criminal docket out of the U.S. District of Minnesota.
Two Lemon co-defendants do not appear to be in federal custody
A federal grand jury seated in Minnesota returned an indictment Thursday against Don Lemon — and eight co-defendants: Nekima Valdez Levy-Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, William Scott Kelly, Jerome Deangelo Richardson, Jamael Lydell Lundy, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Ellyse Fort and Ian Davis Austin.
Three of those defendants — Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen and William Kelly — had previously been charged via criminal complaint, but a federal judge determined that the Trump administration had no probable cause to arrest Lemon and a number of other defendants.
Bondi announced the arrests of four defendants — Lemon, Crews, Fort and Lundy — today. Crews, Fort and Lundy have all been released. Lemon is to appear in court shortly.
Two other defendants — Richardson and Austin appear on the court docket but have not yet been taken into federal custody.
Bruce Springsteen performs chart-topping protest song in Minneapolis
Bruce Springsteen touched down in Minnesota today and performed his protest song “Streets of Minneapolis,” a response to the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents, hours after it soared to the top of iTunes.
The famed New Jersey rocker brought the house down at First Avenue, a Minneapolis venue that played host to the “Defend Minnesota!” benefit show.
Hours earlier, “Streets of Minneapolis” occupied the No. 1 position, just ahead of “Choosin’ Texas” by Ella Langley, “Let Em’ Know” by Bryson Tiller and “I Just Might” by Bruno Mars.
Lemon co-defendants have been released
Three of Don Lemon's co-defendants have been released.
The Trump administration moved to detain three of Lemon’s co-defendants who were also arrested today. Minnesota Federal Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster denied all three requests.
Lemon is set to appear in court this afternoon.
'They arrested the wrong Don,' Jane Fonda says ahead of Lemon's court appearance
Jane Fonda spoke outside the Los Angeles courthouse where Don Lemon is set to appear shortly, saying, “They arrested the wrong Don.”
Fonda, speaking on behalf of the Committee for the First Amendment, a McCarthy-era free speech initiative originally spearheaded by her father, condemned Lemon’s arrest last night.
She called the journalist's arrest “one page more out of an authoritarian playbook.”
“Don Lemon is a professional journalist. He and his producer were doing their job, nothing more, nothing less. And he’s been arrested, and they’ll make up all kinds of defamatory things to say about him,” she said. “We can’t fall for it. We have to speak up.”
Marchers carry giant 'Constitution' through Minneapolis
Charly Triballeau / AFP - Getty Images
Alex Brandon / AP
ICE protesters march today in Minneapolis.
Kim Kardashian says she donated to National Immigration Law Center after Minneapolis shootings
Days after federal agents killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Kim Kardashian said she donated to the National Immigration Law Center.
"In response to the recent tragic deaths of Alex Pretti, Renee Good, Silverio Villegas González, and Keith Porter Jr. and other victims, I stand in solidarity with calls for accountability and compassionate immigration enforcement," Kardashian said in a post on X.
She continued: "I stand with the families and children nationwide who are facing separation, fear, trauma, and loss amid these actions."
The National Immigration Law Center defends and advances the rights of low-income immigrants and their families, Kardashian said.
Detained 5-year-old appears to be in good health, federal officials say
The 5-year-old detained by immigration authorities in Minnesota last week has been examined by a pediatrician and appears to be in good health, according to federal officials.
“A pediatrician examined him and found no medical concerns,” Dr. Sean Conley, the acting director of the Office of Health Security, DHS’ public health authority, said in a statement shared on X by DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.
Conley said it is standard policy to provide medical care from the start of ICE custody, and individuals are given a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arriving at a facility.
“This is the best healthcare many of these individuals have received in their entire lives,” he said, calling the well-being of individuals in custody “a top priority at ICE.”
Liam Conejo Ramos was taken with his father after they returned home Jan. 20 from Liam’s preschool, according to Zena Stenvik, the superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools. Since then, both had been moved from Minnesota to Texas. This week, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from further removing the child.
Earlier in the week, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, visited the boy and his father in the Texas detention center and said the boy was “lethargic.”
The boy’s father told Castro that Liam has been very depressed and that he is not eating well and sleeping a lot, Castro said. The boy asks about his classmates, his family, his mom and the backpack and the blue bunny hat he was wearing when he ended up in ICE custody. Castro said he demanded Liam’s release.
“Liam Ramos is emblematic of the inhumanity of our detention system and ICE operations,” Castro said at a news conference in San Antonio.
Top DOJ official has acknowledged Lemon case lacks historical precedent
Harmeet Dhillon, the Trump administration’s top DOJ Civil Rights Division official, conceded earlier this month that the case against Don Lemon and those who entered a St. Paul church during an anti-ICE protest lacks historical precedent.
The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act of 1994, the statute under which Lemon and others have been charged in connection with the incident, has typically been used in the context of protests blockading abortion clinics. It covers religious facilities as well, but has not been used in that way in the past, Dhillon acknowledged.
“In all these years up until I was the assistant attorney general for civil rights, nobody ever used that houses of worship part to prosecute protesters or criminals blocking access to a house of worship, so we’ve started to do that,” Dhillon said in a video she posted earlier this month.
Trump had pardoned a number of abortion protesters prosecuted under the FACE Act, and the Justice Department dismissed other cases that were pending.
A DOJ memo issued days after Trump’s inauguration last year also created new bureaucratic hurdles on abortion cases that don’t apply to church cases. It mandates that “future abortion-related FACE Act prosecutions and civil actions will be permitted only in extraordinary circumstances, or in cases presenting significant aggravating factors, such as death, serious bodily harm, or serious property damage. Cases not presenting significant aggravating factors can adequately be addressed under state or local law.”
Don Lemon to have initial court apperance today
Don Lemon is in the custody of U.S. marshals and will have his initial court appearance today at 1:30 p.m. local time, the U.S. Marshals Service said in an update to NBC Los Angeles.
Don Lemon charged with federal civil rights crimes, DHS says
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has been charged with federal civil rights crimes in connection with an anti-ICE protest in Minnesota this month, a DHS spokesperson confirmed to NBC Los Angeles.
The spokesperson said Lemon is being charged with conspiracy to deprive rights and interfering by force of someone’s First Amendment rights in connection with the Jan. 18 protest at the Cities Church in St. Paul. AP has also confirmed Lemon's charges.
Karen Bass calls Lemon arrest 'shocking'
In a statement, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, another Black journalist, were "shocking" and "alarming."
“Don Lemon, an internationally known and renowned journalist and friend, was arrested last night by federal agents and is now in custody in Los Angeles — simply for doing his job and following a protest into a church in Minneapolis while reporting the story," Bass said. “Emmy-winning news producer and Minnesota-based journalist Georgia Fort — another widely respected Black journalist — was also arrested by federal agents in Minnesota for reporting on the same protest."
Bass added that their arrests, which she said were for "going into a church in the course of reporting," are "shocking enough," adding that what's "even more alarming is that it’s no secret that Don Lemon is a Trump critic."
“Let me be very clear — President Trump is not de-escalating anything after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents," Bass said. "In fact, the arrest of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort demonstrates quite the opposite — he is escalating."
“First, Trump’s agents shoot and kill people exercising their First Amendment rights, and now we’re arresting journalists going into a church," Bass continued.
She called the arrests an "egregious assault on constitutionally protected First Amendment rights."
Bass said she has reached out to Attorney General Pam Bondi to check on Lemon's status.
National Association of Black Journalists 'alarmed' by Lemon's arrest
The National Association of Black Journalists, a nonprofit that offers support and resources to Black journalists, said it is "outraged and deeply alarmed" by Lemon's arrest overnight.
The group's statement added that it is also worried "by the government’s escalating effort and actions to criminalize and threaten press freedom under the guise of law enforcement."
The president of the group, Errin Haines, was on "The Don Lemon Show" today, the NABJ said.
Trump doubles down, calls protesters 'insurrectionists and agitators'
When asked by a reporter to comment on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz likening the situation in Minneapolis to Fort Sumter, Trump again called the protesters "insurrectionists and agitators," words he used to describe Pretti in a social media post this morning.
Trump then baselessly alleged that the protesters are paid, pointing to "professionally made" and "gorgeous" signs.
"These are people that are handed signs and we know pretty much — we’re getting very close to it — but we know pretty much who’s funding this stuff," Trump said without offering information on who the said funders might be. "These are paid insurrectionists, paid troublemakers."
Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Don Lemon's arrest
The Committee to Protect Journalists, a nonprofit that promotes press freedom worldwide, condemned Lemon's arrest in a statement.
"The arrest of journalist Don Lemon in connection with his reporting on a protest in Minnesota should alarm all Americans," Katherine Jacobsen, who works on the organization's U.S. efforts, said in a statement. "Instead of prioritizing accountability in the killings of two American citizens, the Trump administration is devoting its resources to arresting journalists."
Kathy Hochul introduces legislation preventing ICE agents from co-opting local law enforcement
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced new legislation today that would prevent federal agents from interfering with and taking over local law enforcement efforts in the state in the wake of the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE and Border Patrol in Minnesota in recent weeks.
Called the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, the new law would prevent local jails and police officers from being used by federal agents to enable mass ICE operations; ensure local law enforcement is focused on local crime; and fast-track state of the state proposals that would protect New Yorkers from constitutional violations and prevent federal officers from entering homes and other sensitive locations without a warrant, a statement from Hochul's office said.
The legislation would not prevent local law enforcement or state police from working with federal law enforcement on criminal investigations.
“Over the last year, federal immigration agents have carried out unspeakable acts of violence against Americans under the guise of public safety. These abuses — and the weaponization of local police officers for civil immigration enforcement — will not stand in New York,” Hochul said.
DOJ has opened federal civil rights probe into Alex Pretti's death, Todd Blanche says
The Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights probe into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a news conference today.
"We’re looking at everything that would shed light on what happened that day and in the days and weeks leading up to what happened," he said.
Blanche added that he does not know where Pretti's phone is or the gun that he had on him before his death.
Trump calls Alex Pretti an ‘insurrectionist’ and ‘agitator’ after new video of ICU nurse emerges
Trump today called Alex Pretti an “agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist,” marking an increase in the intensity of his rhetoric toward the intensive care unit nurse fatally shot by federal agents after the president recently said he wanted to “de-escalate a little bit” in Minnesota.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that Pretti’s “stock has gone way down with the just released video of him screaming and spitting in the face of a very calm and under control ICE Officer, and then crazily kicking in a new and very expensive government vehicle, so hard and violent, in fact, that the taillight broke off in pieces.’
NBC News previously reported on the video, shared online this week, that appeared to show Pretti in an altercation with agents just days before he was fatally shot. In the video taken Jan. 13, Pretti is seen yelling at federal immigration agents and kicking the back of a vehicle used by agents, breaking a taillight. It is not clear what happened before the interaction.
“It was quite a display of abuse and anger, for all to see, crazed and out of control. The ICE Officer was calm and cool, not an easy thing to be under those circumstances! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump said in the post today.
A White House spokesperson said they had no further comment beyond the president’s Truth Social post.
Steve Schleicher, an attorney for the Pretti family, said in a statement that “The family’s focus is on a fair and impartial investigation that examines the facts around his murder.”
Lemon was arrested in Beverly Hills around midnight
HSI and FBI agents arrested Don Lemon last night in Beverly Hills at approximately midnight, according to a federal warrant issued in another district.
CNN calls arrest of former anchor Lemon 'profoundly concerning'
CNN, which used to employ Don Lemon as a news anchor, posted a statement in response to the journalist's arrest over attendance at a protest in Minnesota, calling the action "profoundly concerning" and saying it raises questions about "press freedom and the First Amendment."
The network pointed out that the DOJ previously tried and failed, twice, to obtain an arrest warrant for Lemon and that it was denied because a federal judge in Minnesota found "'no evidence' that there was any criminal behavior involved in their work."
"The First Amendment in the United States protects journalists who bear witness to news and events as they unfold, ensuring they can report freely in the public interest, and the DOJ's attempts to violate those rights is unacceptable," the CNN statement said.
Minnesota Timberwolves show solidarity with their home state
Matt Krohn / AP
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels and several other players wore "Stand With Minnesota" T-shirts prior to their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Minneapolis last night.
Trump contradicts announced plans to draw down agents in Minnesota
Trump appeared to clash with his own administration last night over messaging that some ICE officers will be pulled out of Minneapolis.
"We'll do whatever we can to keep our country safe," Trump responded to a reporter who asked about the plans. When asked if the administration would be "pulling back," Trump replied, "No, no. Not at all."
Yesterday, border czar Tom Homan said they would begin "drawing down" resources in the city.
Lemon was arrested over church protest in Minnesota, Pam Bondi says
Former CNN journalist Don Lemon and three others were arrested "in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota," Bondi said in a post on X, adding that more details will be available soon.
Bondi said the three others arrested were Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort and Jamael Lydell Lundy.
The White House later posted on X about Lemon's arrest, using a graphic to show Lemon reporting in Minneapolis with the caption "When life gives you lemons..." and an emoji depicting chains.
Prior to his arrest today, Lemon said he stood by his reporting.
"If this much time and energy is going to be spent manufacturing outrage, it would be far better used investigating the tragic death of Renee Nicole Good — the very issue that brought people into the streets in the first place," he said in a statement last week.
FBI now leading the investigation into Alex Pretti's killing in Minneapolis
The FBI is now leading the investigation into Saturday’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, and Homeland Security Investigations is now assisting, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told NBC News.
Previously, the HSI was leading the investigation with assistance from the FBI.
Separately, the spokesperson said, Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility is conducting its own internal investigation into the actions of the agents involved in the shooting and whether they acted in accordance with their training.
Don Lemon arrested by federal agents, attorney says
Former CNN host Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles while he was covering the Grammy Awards, his attorney said in a statement.
"Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done. The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable," attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement. "There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work."
Details of the charges were not immediately available. The Justice Department promised to pursue charges against him after the independent journalist covered a protest in a Minnesota church last week.
Lowell called Lemon's arrest an "unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand."
Lemon will fight the charges in court, Lowell said.
DOJ files federal charge against man accused of attacking Ilhan Omar
The Justice Department filed charges yesterday against a man who is accused of trying to spray Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., with a substance from a syringe during a town hall in Minneapolis this week.
Anthony Kazmierczak faces a count alleging that he “forcibly assaulted, opposed, impeded, intimidated and officer and employee of the United States” while she was engaged in official duties.
In a separate case, federal prosecutors in Kansas charged a man there with making a death threat against Omar on Facebook.
Jacob Frey on federal drawdown plans for Minneapolis: ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told reporters he had productive calls with Trump and border czar Tom Homan, but that he would “believe it when I see it” when it comes to a federal drawdown in his city.
In Minneapolis, smartphones have proven a crucial way to document immigration enforcement activity
Alex Pretti, left, and a federal immigration agent before Pretti was shot dead in Minneapolis on Jan. 24. @dangjessie via AFP - Getty Images
In the snow-covered streets of Minneapolis, smartphones are recording the first draft of modern American history.
Everyday people have in recent weeks fanned out across the city to document protests and film tense interactions with federal immigration officers. They have also borne witness to tragedy. The fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti were captured on shaky video by bystanders clutching smartphones in the bitter cold and standing within shouting distance of the victims.
The cellphone recordings quickly ricocheted across social media. They were shared again and again, dissected and debated by journalists, politicians, lawyers, activists and millions of people. In a poll published Jan. 13, Quinnipiac University poll found 82% of registered voters have seen video of the Good shooting — and that number has likely grown.
