1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am writing to express my profound alarm at the arrest of journalist Don Lemon and three other journalists—Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy—in connection with their coverage of a protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota on January 18. This represents an unprecedented attack on press freedom and the First Amendment. These arrests occurred while the Trump administration has failed to investigate the killings of two American citizens by federal immigration agents during Operation Metro Surge. Renee Good, 37, and Alex Pretti, 37, were both shot and killed by federal authorities in separate confrontations in Minneapolis. Instead of prioritizing accountability for these deaths, Attorney General Pam Bondi has devoted federal resources to arresting journalists who were reporting on protests sparked by these very killings. The facts are deeply troubling. A federal magistrate judge previously rejected the criminal complaint against Lemon. Three other protesters arrested at the same church service were released after a federal judge found the Trump administration offered "no factual or legal support" to justify the arrests. The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned these actions, and even CNN has stated that Lemon's arrest "raises profoundly concerning questions about press freedom and the First Amendment." Over the last two months, the federal government has sent 3,000 immigration agents to the Twin Cities and arrested more than 3,000 undocumented immigrants. This operation has transformed daily life for residents who now live in fear. The administration initially called both Good and Pretti "domestic terrorists" before backtracking. I urge you to take immediate action to defend the First Amendment by opposing any further funding for agencies engaged in these unconstitutional arrests until serious reforms are implemented. I also call on you to demand accountability for the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and to support the impeachment and removal of Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Tod Blanche, and FBI Director Kash Patel for their roles in these violations of constitutional rights.