Stop the DOJ’s Attack on the Free Press

The Department of Justice has crossed a dangerous line.

Federal authorities arrested independent journalist Don Lemon after he documented a peaceful protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Protesters were raising concerns that the church’s pastor allegedly leads an ICE field office. Lemon was reporting, not organizing. A judge had already dismissed prior charges against him for lack of evidence that he committed any crime. Yet the DOJ moved forward anyway.

This arrest is an unmistakable threat to the First Amendment.

Journalists have a constitutional right to document protests, government conduct, and immigration enforcement. Arresting a reporter for lawful newsgathering is not about public safety — it is about intimidation. It tells journalists and community witnesses to stay silent or face federal retaliation.

This incident did not happen in isolation. Less than a month earlier, the FBI searched the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson while investigating a leak. The newspaper’s leadership warned that the search endangered press freedom itself. Together, these actions reveal a growing pattern of federal agencies treating journalists as targets rather than watchdogs.

Press freedom groups have documented a sharp rise in journalist arrests and searches in recent years, particularly around protests. Legal experts warn that these tactics chill reporting and weaken democratic accountability.

We are calling on the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota, and Attorney General leadership to act immediately: abandon any remaining efforts against Don Lemon, publicly affirm protections for journalists, and issue clear guidance barring the arrest of reporters engaged in lawful reporting.

Public pressure works. DOJ leaders respond when constitutional violations spark outrage and scrutiny from Congress and the public.

If journalists can be arrested for documenting a peaceful protest today, press freedom is at risk tomorrow. Sign now to demand accountability and defend the First Amendment.