What we covered here
• Anti-ICE protests: Nationwide demonstrations took place to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts, with organizers calling for a boycott of school, work and shopping.
• Journalists arrested: Former CNN anchor Don Lemon says he “will not stop now” after his arrest in connection to a Minnesota church protest earlier this month. Independent journalist Georgia Fort, who was filming the protest, was also arrested. Both have since been released.
• In Minneapolis: A massive crowd of protesters was seen marching downtown, chanting and holding up signs reading “ICE Out.” Rock legend Bruce Springsteen and guitarist and singer Tom Morello performed at a concert benefitting the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were both fatally shot by federal agents this month.
• Pretti shooting: The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the Pretti shooting. The probe will examine whether the Department of Homeland Security officers violated the law in shooting Pretti.
Our live coverage of the immigration crackdown in Minnesota and nationwide protests has ended for the day. Please scroll through the updates below for all of Friday’s developments and read our coverage of journalist Don Lemon’s arrest and federal officials’ drawdown plan.
Catch up on the latest as Minnesota's anti-ICE movement spreads nationwide
President Donald Trump said yesterday there were no plans to pull ICE officers out of Minneapolis as Border Czar Tom Homan said he ordered a “drawdown plan.” Here’s the latest since nationwide protests and economic “blackouts” have sprung out of the unrest in Minneapolis.
Here’s what you need to know:
Journalists arrested: Federal agents arrested independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort in connection to a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota. A source said Lemon, a former CNN anchor, was arrested at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in an operation including more than two dozen federal agents. Fort, who was arrested after filming the protest, was released from custody this afternoon. Press freedom groups have condemned the arrests of Lemon and Fort as a violation of the First Amendment.
What they said: After his release today, Lemon reiterated he “will not be silenced” in his first YouTube show since he was charged and said, “People are realizing the critical moment that we’re in, in this country, that our rights are under assault.” Fort, who lives in Minnesota, also vowed to continue to tell stories. Responding to the allegations in the indictment against her, she said, “The footage is published, it speaks for itself.”
National shutdowns and protests: Businesses closed and students walked out of classes today as part of a national shutdown to protest federal actions in Minneapolis. Anti-ICE protests swept across the country from Washington State to New England. In Minneapolis, rock legend Bruce Springsteen and guitarist and singer Tom Morello performed at a concert benefiting the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. In Los Angeles, police said they were arresting “violent agitators” near a federal building after law enforcement fired pepper balls at a group of protesters who threw bottles and cornered them.
Pretti shooting: The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minnesota, US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said today. The announcement means the Justice Department is looking into whether the DHS officers who shot Pretti violated the law and marks an expansion of the federal government’s investigation into the matter.
Mixed signaling: President Donald Trump said Thursday evening there were no plans to pull immigration enforcement agents out of Minneapolis. At the same time, Border Czar Tom Homan announced earlier in the day he had ordered federal immigration authorities to work on a drawdown plan. Homan on Friday reiterated cooperation from jails is essential for an eventual drawdown of immigration enforcement activity in the state.
This post has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Kara Scannell, Sara Sidner, Shawn Reynolds, Alisha Ebrahimji, Zoe Sottile, Josh Campbell, Brian Stelter, Emma Tucker, Liam Reilly, Shawn Nottingham, Rebekah Riess, Holmes Lybrand and Donald Judd contributed to this report.
Trump defends Noem and Homan amid criticism of immigration enforcement in Minnesota
President Donald Trump tonight forcefully defended Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and border czar Tom Homan, making clear he is standing by his top immigration officials as they face mounting criticism over theadministration’s immigration enforcement crackdown after the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.
In a series of social media posts, Trump accused Democrats of unfairly targeting Noem “because she is a woman,” and praised her leadership at the Department of Homeland Security.
“The Radical Left Lunatics, Insurrectionists, Agitators, and Thugs, are going after Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, because she is a woman, and has done a really GREAT JOB!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“The Border disaster that I inherited is fixed,” Trump wrote, crediting Noem with helping undo what he described as the effects of former President Joe Biden’s “Open Border Policy.”
In a separate post, Trump also voiced support for Tom Homan, his border czar who he dispatched to Minneapolis earlier this week to help address tensions following the shootings.
“Border Czar (Plus!) Tom Homan is doing a FANTASTIC JOB. He is one of a kind,” Trump wrote. “Thank you Tom!!!”
Meanwhile, the Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting of Pretti. The probe will examine whether DHS officers violated the law in the use of force, according to officials.
Arrests made and crowd mostly dispersed after officers used force on small group of “violent” protesters in LA, police say
Arrests have been made in downtown Los Angeles near a federal building after a small group of protesters clashed with law enforcement, prompting officers to issue several dispersal orders and deploy less-lethal force on them, according to the city’s police department.
At least two people were arrested for failure to disperse, and the situation is now under control but remains “ongoing,” according to Mayor Karen Bass. The crowd decreased to about 150 people who were “scattered around one particular intersection,” the mayor told CNN’s Abby Phillip.
The incident came after a group of protesters cornered law enforcement and threw items at them in a heated confrontation with officers outside the federal building, prompting officers to fire pepper balls and spray them with chemical irritants. Several of those protesters then moved onto a nearby street where officers in tactical gear formed a line in front of them and worked to disperse the crowd, aerial footage from CNN affiliate KABC showed.
Most of the demonstration in the street cleared out within an hour of the first dispersal order, which warned protesters could be arrested if they did not leave within 10 minutes, the LAPD said.
A few remaining protesters were “actively fighting” with officers, who deployed less-than-lethal force on them “due to violence against officers,” LAPD said, noting some protesters threw bottles and rocks at law enforcement.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department urged protesters to remain “respectful, non-violent, and mindful of the safety of others.” The agency “supports the right to peacefully assemble and be heard,” however, officers “will take appropriate action” when “actions turn criminal and violent,” it said in a statement to CNN.
As of 7:30 p.m. PT, police said a demonstration formed and was marching over the 101 Freeway, a main artery connecting major California cities.
Homan says cooperation at Minnesota jails would mean "we can draw down on the number of agents”
Border Czar Tom Homan reiterated today cooperation from jails in Minnesota is essential for an eventual drawdown of immigration enforcement activity in the state.
Homan noted that the Minnesota state prison system has been honoring ICE detainers, and that state Attorney General Keith Ellison told him during a meeting yesterday county jails “can notify us before they release them, and so give us time to get there and take them into custody.”
“That’s what President Trump wants. He wants safe enforcement. He wants public safety threats taken out of this country, and the safest way to do that is in the safety and security of a law enforcement facility with their cooperation,” Homan added.
Ellison said yesterday he did not make “any agreement with him about how sheriffs share with ICE information about people in their county jails” during their meeting.
Context: Federal and state officials have for weeks been exchanging barbs over the issue of ICE detainers — which allow ICE to take custody of incarcerated immigrants — as neither party can agree on how many of these people even exist in the system. Ellison has said state law requires state and local authorities to share information with federal immigration authorities on non-citizens convicted of felonies, but county jails cannot hold people beyond their release date.
Attorney for Don Lemon says his client thought he was getting mugged when federal agents arrested him
An attorney representing Don Lemon in charges related to his coverage of a protest at a St. Paul church said his client thought he was getting mugged when federal agents arrested him Thursday night, demonstrating the random and sudden nature of his arrest.
Lemon was returning to his hotel in the Los Angeles area around 11:30 p.m. when federal agents surrounded him in the lobby, attorney Abbe Lowell said while speaking with MS NOW’s Jen Psaki.
“Don thought he was being mugged because he has been controversial, and he actually thought some crazy people on the right might be stalking him,” he said. This was especially surprising because Lowell had reached out to the Department of Justice asking about the investigation and never heard back.
Lemon’s arrest is an indicator of the worsening condition of the country and how constitutional rights are being chipped away, Lowell said.
“It’s un-American”: Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly on Don Lemon’s arrest
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly called the arrest of Don Lemon “outrageous” and “un-American,” adding he believes the Trump administration is trying to send a message to those who may not view or cover his presidency in favorable terms.
“This is not just about Don Lemon. This is about you and every other journalist in this country,” Kelly told CNN’s Erin Burnett. “If you cross the president, he’s gonna come after you. And we’ve never seen anything like this in our 250 years.”
Don Lemon reiterates “I will not be silenced” in his first YouTube show since arrest
Don Lemon reiterated he “will not be silenced” in his first YouTube show since he was charged for his coverage of a protest at a St. Paul church.
One good thing to come out of his arrest is “that people are realizing the critical moment that we’re in in this country, that our rights are under assault,” he said during his show.
“It may have started with people having their due process rights violated on the streets — violently violated on the streets — but now they’re trying to silence journalists, and I will not be silenced,” Lemon said, adding he looks forward to proving his innocence in court.
He also took a moment to talk about other reporters who he said have been targeted by the administration, including a Washington Post reporter who had their devices seized, saying “I stand with you.”
Lemon, who is in Los Angeles to cover the Grammys, said he is not sure if he will end up doing the red carpet coverage he planned to do.
Independent journalist Georgia Fort says she will keep telling stories in Minnesota after arrest
Georgia Fort, an independent journalist, vowed to continue to tell stories about what is happening in Minnesota, even after she was taken into custody and indicted on charges for filming a protest in a church in St. Paul last week.
“It is quite frightening to have two dozens agents outside of your home. My children were home with me when I was arrested,” she told CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
Fort, who has been released, said that Minnesota is her home and she is a member of the community. She said she was at the church protest as a journalist.
Responding to allegations in the indictment that congregants in the church feared for their safety as a result of Fort’s actions, she said: “The footage is published, it speaks for itself.”
“I am doing the best that I can to tell the stories of what’s really happening,” she said. “As an American-born citizen, it’s always been my understanding that I have that protection under the Constitution, under the First Amendment, that we have a freedom of press.”
She said her arrest sends “a chilling message” to the journalism industry and that people should be alarmed.
“Today the way that I was treated for simply doing my job, the way that I have been criminalized and dehumanized, it makes me really, really wonder if our Constitution is something of the past and if it’s just a thing made up of empty promises,” Fort said.
Officers spray irritants at protesters who threw bottles, pushed them into LA federal building
A group of protesters outside a federal building in Los Angeles threw items as they cornered police officers and Department of Homeland Security agents, who then fired pepper balls and sprayed them with orange chemical irritants in a heated confrontation.
Protesters were able to overtake officers who were standing in a skirmish line in front of the building’s loading dock before the officers pushed the crowd back, spraying protesters and a CNN team on the ground with chemical irritants and firing pepper balls.
People were then heard coughing and gagging. Some threw bottles and at least one bag filled with trash at the officers. An earlier protest in the city that started hours before outside city hall was peaceful, with protesters waving flags and holding up signs.
“There’s so much of the pepper spray still in the air and so many people around us coughing and gagging,” CNN correspondent Veronica Miracle reported from the scene.
Shortly after, many protesters moved away from the federal building onto a nearby street where law enforcement officers in tactical gear formed a line in front of them, pushing protesters back, with several police vehicles behind them, according to aerial footage from CNN affiliate KABC.
The Los Angeles Police Department said arrests of “violent agitators” were being made after the agency issued several dispersal orders for protesters near the federal building, initially giving them “10 minutes to leave or you may be arrested,” as of 5:45 p.m. PT.
Roughly an hour later, most of the demonstration had dispersed, however, “a small group of agitators remains in the area,” prompting the agency to issue additional dispersal orders, it said: “You have 5 minutes to disperse.”
The lingering protesters were “actively fighting” with officers, who were authorized to use less-than-lethal force on the group “due to the violence against officers,” the agency said. Some protesters threw bottles and rocks at the officers while blocking the street with “traffic control items,” LAPD said.
CNN’s Veronica Miracle and Sarah Moon contributed to this report.
Arrests of journalists and “violence” inflicted by ICE is fueling massive protests, Minnesota lt. gov says
The arrests of former CNN anchor Don Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort in connection to a Minnesota church protest earlier this month were “chilling” in the context of their First Amendment rights, the state’s Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan told CNN.
“This is our democracy on the line, and what is happening in Minnesota can come to your town and we have to do everything we can to lift our voices to stop it,” said Flanagan, who added the state had no information beforehand about the arrests of the two journalists who have since been released.
Those arrests, along with the fear, chaos and “violence that ICE agents are inflicting on our community” is fueling tens and thousands of people to show up for protests across the country today, Flanagan added.
White House border czar Tom Homan said this week he had ordered federal immigration authorities to work on a drawdown plan for law enforcement in Minnesota. When asked about how the reality of that plan is playing out in the state, Flanagan said, “I think they’re playing musical chairs with Bovino, Homan and Kristi Noem,” adding it doesn’t seem to be the plan for President Donald Trump.
Don Lemon says "I will not stop now" following court hearing
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon said, “I will not stop now,” to a crowd of reporters and supporters in Los Angeles following his arrest after covering a protest at a St. Paul church.
Lemon said the Department of Justice “sent a team of federal agents to arrest me in the middle of the night” for doing journalism, “something that I have been doing for the last 30 years.”
“ICE Out” echoes through chants in major cities nationwide as protests get underway
Protesters were seen rallying and marching in major cities nationwide, calling for an end to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, as a planned shutdown in Minneapolis resulted in closed businesses and students walking out of classes as part of a strike.
Friday’s protests kicked off at the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, with demonstrators – who braved frigid winter temperatures – chanting, “ICE out!” Later in the day, community members gathered at Lake Bde Maka Ska and formed a human “SOS” in protest of ICE actions in the city, according to CNN affiliate KARE.
In New York City’s Foley Square, which has been a frequent site of demonstrations, protesters gathered and held up a variety of signs, some reading, “Protesting ICE is not a crime,” and “Justice for all victims of ICE terror.” The massive crowd then started marching through Manhattan’s streets.
The rallying cry stretched across the nation Friday in different cities, but protesters’ chants and the signs they held echoed the same sentiments, echoing calls to “shut it down,” referring to the federal immigration actions.
In Atlanta, protesters gathered along a street banging drums and chanting in unison: “Immigrants are welcome here!”
Organizers gave speeches and musicians performed in San Antonio – with many clapping along – in a city park before starting to march, CNN affiliate KABB reported.
A massive crowd rallied in downtown Los Angeles outside city hall, with some protesters waving flags and holding up signs as they stood on a ledge of the building, aerial footage from CNN affiliate KABC showed.
Another massive group of protesters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, marched through the middle of city streets, according to footage from CNN affiliate KOAT.
Other major protests occurred in Columbia, South Carolina; Philadelphia; Chicago; Milwaukee; Phoenix; Denver; and Austin, Texas.
Los Angeles mayor says Don Lemon "should not have been in court" after appearing for protest charges
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the indictment of Don Lemon for his coverage of a protest at a church in St. Paul is an attack on democracy.
Speaking outside the courthouse following the former CNN anchor’s appearance in federal court, she said she is “very glad” he is being released on a personal recognizance bond “because he should not have been in court anyway.”
“How far is this going to go?” Bass asked the crowd.
She said from her perspective, Lemon was doing the “work of a reporter” when he went into a Minneapolis church during a protest.
“We have seen protesters under attack, we have seen people being snatched off our street and now all of you are at risk,” she told reporters.
Bass called the charges against Lemon “unacceptable” and said journalists play a critical role in democracy. She said she thinks the Trump administration is trying to put journalists “on notice” when they cover a “controversial event.”
This post has been updated with additional comments from Bass.
Don Lemon appears in federal court for charges related to St. Paul church protest
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon appeared in federal court in Los Angeles as he faces several charges for his coverage of a protest at a St. Paul church two weeks ago.
Lemon was released on a personal recognizance bond and will face no pretrial supervision. The judge required him to get permission for foreign travel, and allowed him to go on a trip to France in June.
Prosecutors read parts of the indictment to emphasize the seriousness of the case, specifically citing a portion where Lemon allegedly said he understood the purpose of the protest was to disrupt.
Lemon’s attorney argued he plans to fight the case and is not guilty, although no plea was entered during today’s hearing, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Prosecutors argued for stricter terms for his release, which were not granted.
Lemon appeared in court wearing a tan, double-breasted suit and a matching T-shirt and spoke calmly during the hearing.
The unsealed grand jury indictment shows Lemon is charged with conspiring to violate someone’s constitutional rights and violating the FACE Act, which prohibits the use of force or threats to intentionally interfere with someone expressing their First Amendment right to religion.
The Justice Department attempted to charge Lemon last week, but a magistrate judge rejected the charges, saying there was insufficient evidence.
This post has been updated with additional information.
Hundreds of anti-ICE protesters gather in Lower Manhattan and begin marching
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Foley Square in Lower Manhattan on Friday for an “ICE Out” demonstration before beginning a march through the New York City borough, as organizers across the country called for a nationwide strike in response to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Protesters held up a range of signs, some of which read: “Protesting ICE is not a crime,” and “Justice for all victims of ICE terror.” Foley Square has been the site of several demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement operations in the city and across the US.
The crowd of protesters then started chanting, “Shut it down, shut it down, shut it down!”
One woman, a New Yorker, told CNN she was attending the protest because “standing up for our individual rights and our neighbors, it’s like breathing. That’s how important it is.”
More than two dozen agents involved in Lemon arrest, source says
The arrest of journalist Don Lemon in the Los Angeles area involved more than two dozen federal agents, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the operation.
Lemon was arrested by a team of agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI, the source said, with HSI leading the investigation.
The large arrest team assembled by HSI included agents who made direct contact with Lemon, as well as others stationed in and around the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where the arrest took place, who were on standby for any necessary traffic or crowd control issues, the source said.
LA Mayor Karen Bass arrives in court ahead of Don Lemon expected appearance
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is in court ahead of Don Lemon’s expected appearance on charges related to his coverage of a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, a staff member of the mayor’s office told CNN.
Bass was seen walking into the courtroom shortly before 2:00 p.m. local time.
Federal agents took Don Lemon's cell phone during arrest, source says
Independent journalist and former CNN anchor Don Lemon had a cell phone with him when he was taken into custody and the agents who arrested him obtained the phone, according to a source familiar with the arrest.
It is not known whether the agents had a warrant to search the contents of the phone.
Independent journalist Georgia Fort released from custody
Independent journalist Georgia Fort, who was arrested after filming an anti-ICE protest at a St. Paul church earlier this month, has been released from custody.
Fort and former CNN anchor Don Lemon were both arrested. The arrests have sparked outrage and condemnation from free press and free speech advocacy groups, as well as local and national politicians.
Speaking to the media after her release, Fort asked, “Do we have a constitution or not?”
“I should be protected under the First Amendment, just like all of the journalists who I’ve been advocating for too,” she said.
Fort urged support for other people who have been charged in connection with the demonstration.
