Protests Against ICE in Minneapolis Highlight Arrest of Journalist Don Lemon

Thousand of demonstrators have taken to the streets in Minneapolis and across the U.S., protesting ICE operations after the deaths of two citizens and the arrest of journalist Don Lemon

Minneapolis has once again become the center of nationwide protests against the immigration enforcement policies of Donald Trump and ICE, following the deaths of two U.S. citizens during recent operations. For the second consecutive Friday, thousands braved freezing temperatures, skipping school and work, and closing local businesses to participate in demonstrations outside the federal building in Minnesota’s largest city.

“Regardless of personal beliefs, as business owners all we can say is that ICE is bad for business,” said one cafe owner in Minneapolis. Marchers carried signs and chanted the slogan, “please stop killing us,” calling for an end to violence against civilians.

Protests have spread to other major U.S. cities. Teachers’ strikes in Colorado and Arizona forced school closures, while approximately one thousand demonstrators blocked an intersection in Washington, D.C. In Chicago, a similar number gathered at Daley Plaza, and in New York volunteers shoveled ice at Foley Square to allow hundreds of protesters to assemble. In San Francisco, middle and high school students also joined the demonstrations, according to the Washington Post.

Journalist Don Lemon, formerly of CNN, was arrested in Los Angeles after participating in an anti-ICE protest at a Minneapolis church. The demonstration opposed the dual role of a local pastor who also heads the ICE office in Minneapolis. Lemon was charged with interrupting a religious service and violating the freedom of worship of those present. Following his arrest, Lemon declared, “I will not stop. I will never stop.”

“I cannot imagine a more important time for free and independent media to shine a light on the truth and hold those in power accountable,” Lemon said. “The Justice Department sent federal agents to arrest me for doing the work I’ve done for 30 years—covering the news. The First Amendment protects my work and that of countless journalists doing the same.”

Federal prosecutors claimed Lemon joined “a crowd that terrorized people in a place of worship,” but District Judge Patricia Donahue ordered his release without bail. The protest was peaceful, and leaders of the demonstration have been arrested in recent days. Former Vice President and 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris criticized Lemon’s arrest, calling it “another assault on our rights and freedoms that should alarm and anger everyone.”

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(Photo: © AndKronos)