Appeals Court Denies DOJ’s Urgent Request for Don Lemon’s Arrest

A federal appeals court on Friday evening turned down the Justice Department’s urgent request to arrest Don Lemon and several others involved in the protest at Cities Church last weekend.

The Trump administration’s Justice Department charged former CNN anchor Don Lemon along with seven others for their actions during the protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.

However, only three of the eight individuals involved in the church protest were taken into federal custody.

Earlier this week, Magistrate Judge Douglas Micko dismissed the charges against Don Lemon and four other defendants. It is noteworthy that Judge Micko’s wife is an Assistant Attorney General in the office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.

The Trump DOJ subsequently requested that the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals reinstate the arrest warrants.

The appeals court declined the DOJ’s request. The panel, which included judges Jane Kelly (nominated by Obama), Steven Grasz (nominated by Trump), and Jonathan Kobes (nominated by Trump), noted that while there was probable cause to arrest Lemon and the other defendants, the DOJ could pursue arrest warrants through alternative means.

According to CBS News, the federal appellate court’s decision, which was made public on Saturday, followed the Justice Department’s request to compel a lower court judge to issue arrest warrants for five individuals linked to an anti-ICE protest held inside the church, alleging unlawful interference with the churchgoers’ constitutional right to practice their religion.

Although the ruling did not reveal the names of the five defendants for whom the DOJ sought arrest warrants, multiple sources confirmed to CBS that Lemon is among them.

Harmeet Dhillon reacted to the Eighth Circuit’s ruling by stating, “Stay tuned.”

Stay tuned U.S. appeals court sees probable cause to charge journalist Don Lemon, but declines to order lower court to sign arrest warrants – CBS Newsd https://t.co/ZPVePpT7wJ

— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) January 24, 2026