As anger keeps boiling over the actions of federal agents—especially ICE—the Trump administration is scrambling to regain control of the story. Instead of calming things down, though, their latest moves have only fueled more outrage.
From Minnesota to Kentucky, Americans are expressing their displeasure with the actions of ICE, which seems to have turned from enforcing immigration law to attacking people who are simply expressing their First Amendment rights to object. But a new ICE target has emerged—journalists who are simply doing their jobs, reporting on the events so the American people can see what is happening for themselves.
Last Thursday night, federal agents arrested independent journalist Don Lemon, charging him under the FACE Act—a law usually used against anti‑abortion protesters who block access to clinics or religious institutions. President Donald Trump had previously praised right-wing activists convicted under the very same law when he took office in 2025.
Lemon is also charged under a Civil War–era statute meant to stop the Ku Klux Klan from terrorizing Black Americans. Prosecutors claim Lemon interfered with religious worship when he covered a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 18.
But the video Lemon filmed tells a different story. Reporters Jarrett Ley and Samuel Oakford reviewed the footage and found that Lemon identified himself as a journalist, followed protesters into the church, and spent about 45 minutes interviewing both parishioners and protesters. Most of the conversations were calm. He didn’t chant or disrupt the service himself, and when a pastor asked him to leave, he did—about seven minutes later.
Federal prosecutors initially tried to arrest Lemon and his producer, but a magistrate judge refused, saying there wasn’t enough evidence. A federal judge also rejected the case, calling the administration’s appeal “unprecedented.” Even the Eighth Circuit said no. After repeatedly striking out, the administration went to a grand jury, which finally issued indictments.
Lemon wasn’t the only journalist targeted. Independent reporter Georgia Fort was also arrested, along with two protesters: Trahern Jeen Crews and Jamael Lydell Lundy. All four people arrested in the last 24 hours are Black.
The message here isn’t subtle. These arrests look like a warning shot—aimed squarely at independent journalists who continue to document ICE’s actions. It’s hard to see this as anything other than an attempt to intimidate the press and chill coverage of federal law enforcement abuses.
It’s also a direct hit on the First Amendment.
The timing matters. Public opinion has been turning sharply against ICE, especially after federal agents killed two white American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. When administration officials—including Trump himself—blamed Pretti’s death on gun ownership, despite the fact he didn’t use a weapon, many white Americans began to see themselves as potential victims of an increasingly authoritarian system. Solidarity against the administration has grown since then.
The administration’s response appears to be two‑pronged: reassure its MAGA base while signaling to white Americans that they’re still “safe.” That dynamic was on full display when the official White House social media account posted a photo of Lemon with the caption “When life gives you lemons…” alongside an emoji of chains—imagery widely criticized for evoking enslavement.
Attorney General Pam Bondi reinforced the message, framing the arrests as a defense of religious freedom. She warned that anyone who violates that “sacred right” would face consequences. The subtext was clear: Christian nationalism and racial signaling are central to the administration’s political strategy.
Lemon, for his part, says he’s not backing down. After appearing in court, he told reporters he plans to plead not guilty and won’t stop reporting.
Despite all of this, the administration still hasn’t managed to stem public anger. Nationwide protests erupted again on Friday, including massive crowds in Minneapolis—even in sub-freezing temperatures.
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Last Saturday night, Winchester residents held a peaceful candlelight vigil in front of the courthouse to remember the victims of ICE in Minnesota and elsewhere.
Nothing seems to be stopping people from showing up.
The effort to silence critics, shift blame, and change the conversation appears to be doing the exact opposite.
Much of the source material for this commentary was taken from Letters from an American, a daily Substack newsletter by historian Heather Cox Richardson.
