Condemn the Arrest of Journalist Don Lemon and Defend Press Freedom

I am writing to urge you to publicly condemn the arrest of independent journalist Don Lemon by federal agents in Los Angeles and to take immediate action to protect First Amendment rights for journalists covering government operations. Don Lemon was arrested while in Los Angeles to cover the Grammy Awards. This arrest stems from his earlier reporting at a Minnesota church where he livestreamed a protest, interviewed protesters and congregation members, and documented public confrontation over allegations that a church pastor also runs the local ICE field office overseeing deportation operations. Lemon was engaged in constitutionally protected journalism, not participating in protests, incitement, or obstruction. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, called this "an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment" and noted that Lemon has spent three decades doing exactly this kind of accountability journalism. What makes this particularly alarming is that the official White House social media account posted about Lemon's arrest with a mocking caption and chain emoji, representing the government openly celebrating the detention of a journalist. This is not how democratic governments behave. This is how authoritarian regimes silence dissent. This arrest follows a clear pattern of escalating government intimidation of media: delegitimization, threats, lawsuits, pressure on licenses and visas, and now arrests. The message to journalists is unmistakable: cover protests involving ICE, expose conflicts of interest, or challenge the administration, and you risk arrest. I need you to speak out against this arrest and introduce or support legislation that explicitly protects journalists from arrest or prosecution for covering protests and government operations. The First Amendment is not a suggestion. When the government can arrest journalists for doing their jobs, we have crossed a line that threatens the foundation of our democracy. Your constituents are watching to see whether you will defend press freedom or remain silent while it erodes.