By Trendsetter Tribune 
A federal appeals court has shut down the Justice Department’s attempt to force arrest warrants against five people tied to an anti-ICE protest inside a Minnesota church — including former CNN anchor Don Lemon.
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that it would not order a lower court judge to sign the warrants, dealing a blow to federal prosecutors who argued the protest violated churchgoers’ civil rights. While one appellate judge said there may have been probable cause, the panel as a whole refused to intervene.
The case stems from a protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, where demonstrators confronted a pastor they believed was an ICE official. Lemon attended the protest in a journalistic capacity and interviewed the pastor. A magistrate judge previously declined to sign warrants for Lemon and others, citing a lack of probable cause and noting that none of the protesters engaged in violence.
Justice Department officials tried to fast-track the warrants, even invoking national security concerns, but the court wasn’t convinced. “There is absolutely no emergency,” the district’s chief judge wrote, describing the alleged conduct as protesters “yelling horrible things.”
Lemon’s attorney called the government’s actions a troubling attempt to punish protected journalism. For now, the warrants remain unsigned, though prosecutors could still seek indictments or refile charges with new evidence.
The ruling adds another flashpoint to the growing national fight over ICE enforcement, protests, and press freedom.