Press advocacy groups criticized PresidentDonald Trump's administration over its arrests of former CNN anchor Don Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort in connection to a Minneapolis church protest, calling the moves unconstitutional.
Lemon was arrested in Los Angeleson Jan. 29, according to a statement from his attorney, Abe Lowell. He called the arrest an "unprecedented attack on the First Amendment."
"The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable," Lowell said. "There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work."
The statement did not provide information about the charges Lemon is facing.The New York TimesandCBS Newsreported the charges stem from his involvement covering aprotest inside a Minnesota church on Jan. 18.
Lemonwas one of several journalists in attendance at the Jan. 18 protest of Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Demonstrators alleged that the church's pastor worked for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In a nearlyseven-hour livestreamon his YouTube channel, Lemon spoke with congregation members, protestors and one of the church's pastors.
A federal magistrate judge previously rejected a proposed criminal complaint from the Department of Justice for charges against Lemon connected to the protest,CNN,Reuters andCBS Newsreported on Jan. 22, citing anonymous sources.
Attorney GeneralPam Bondiconfirmed the arrest of Lemon, as well as of Fort and activists Trahern Jeen Crews and Jamael Lydell Lundy in aJan. 30 X post.
Bondi said the arrests were made "in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church" and that more details would follow.
USA TODAY reached out to the Department of Justice for comment. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Jan. 30 declined to provide details during an unrelated news conference in Washington.
Advocacy groups say arrest marks attack on press freedom
The Freedom of the Press Foundation condemned Lemon and Fort's arrests, calling them "clear warning shots aimed at other journalists."
"The unmistakable message is that journalists must tread cautiously because the government is looking for any way to target them,"Seth Stern, the organization's chief of advocacy, said on Jan. 30.
Stern called for individuals and news outlets to rally around Lemon and Fort in defense of the First Amendment's right to the freedom of the press.
"Journalists are not making themselves the story, Trump is," Stern said.
Vigils held for Alex Pretti, killed in Border Patrol related shooting
Clayton Weimers, executive director of Reporters Without Borders' United States branch, said the arrests marked "another attack on every American's press freedom."
"The Trump administration cannot send federal agents after reporters simply because they don't like the stories being reported – especially after already failing multiple times to obtain a warrant from the courts for Lemon's arrest," Weimers said.
He called for the pair to be released and said they had his organization's "full support."
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National Press Club PresidentMark Schoeff Jr.said the group was "deeply alarmed"by Lemon's arrest, adding that arrests of other independent journalists "would signal a troubling pattern of targeting journalists for newsgathering."
"Journalism is not a crime," Schoeff said. "Arresting or detaining journalists for covering protests, public events, or government actions represents a grave threat to press freedom and risks chilling reporting nationwide."
He said his organization would be monitoring the situation.
Errin Haines, founder and editor of the nonprofit news outletThe 19th, asked the public to demand justice for Lemon and Fort.
"I think you're already seeing so much public support for the issue of press freedom," Haines said during the Jan. 30 episode of'The Don Lemon Show'."That is because the concern we are seeing is just not about one journalists. It's not just about Don. It's not just about Georgia. It's whether reporters can do their job without fear of arrest."
When journalists are detained for documenting events of public concern, Haines said, "everyone's right to know is at risk."
"If this can happen to a high-profile journalist the risk is even greater for local reporters, for freelancers, for journalists of color," Haines said.
The Committee to Protect Journalists was scheduled to have a news conference on the arrests, as well as broader issues related to the freedom of the press in Minneapolis, on Friday afternoon.
What is the FACE Act?
Prosecutors may attempt to charge them under theFreedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act of 1994.
The law bars, among other actions, "intentionally injuring, intimidating or interfering with" a person attempting to seek or provide services at a reproductive health facility or place of worship. It specifies, however, that the act should not be used to "prohibit any expressive conduct – including peaceful picketing or other peaceful demonstration" protected by the First Amendment.
Trump's White House has accused past administrations ofusing the law to target religious Americans
Days after taking office for the second time, Trump pardoned nearly two dozenanti-abortion activists. The group included individuals charged withconspiring to storm a reproductive health clinicin Washington in October 2020.
Amongtheir charges were violationsof the FACE Act.
In aspeech following the Supreme Court's decisionto overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, which revoked a woman's constitutional right to an abortion andprompted nationwide protests, Biden said he "(calls) on everyone, no matter how deeply they care about this decision, to keep all protests peaceful."
Bondi touted the pardons in theinaugural meeting of the administration's Religious Liberty Commission, which is housed under the Department of Justice.
Contributing: Melina Khan and Natalie Alund
BrieAnna Frank is a First Amendment reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her atbjfrank@usatoday.com.USA TODAY's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.Funders do not provide editorial input.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Don Lemon's arrest slammed by press advocates. What is the FACE Act?