Lead: Don Lemon, the independent journalist and former CNN anchor, has added Joseph H. Thompson — a senior federal prosecutor who resigned in mid-January — to his defense team in the case arising from a Jan. 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Federal prosecutors have charged Mr. Lemon with felonies for his role in entering and live-streaming the disruption of a Sunday service that targeted an ICE official. The move was disclosed in a court filing on Feb. 10, 2026, and pairs Mr. Thompson with lead defense counsel Abbe Lowell. Thompson’s appointment introduces an unusual dynamic: he formerly helped lead the office that brought the charges.
Key Takeaways
- Don Lemon was charged in connection with a Jan. 18, 2026, protest at Cities Church in St. Paul; prosecutors allege he participated in a disruption aimed at an ICE official.
- Joseph H. Thompson, who served nearly 17 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, resigned in mid-January 2026 and joined Lemon’s defense, according to a Feb. 10 court filing.
- Nine defendants are tied to the church protest case; Mr. Lemon is the highest-profile defendant named in the indictments.
- Mr. Lemon, 59, live-streamed parts of the incident in which protesters chanted “ICE out!” and “Hands up, don’t shoot!” while entering the church sanctuary.
- Abbe Lowell is serving as Lemon’s lead counsel; Thompson is listed as co-counsel in the recent filing.
- Federal prosecutors characterize the case as part of an immigration-enforcement operation that sparked controversy and internal dissent at the Justice Department.
- Thompson’s move from the prosecutor’s office to the defense of a defendant charged by that same office raises conflict and recusal questions for the court and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Background
The incident at the center of the prosecutions took place on Jan. 18, 2026, when demonstrators entered Cities Church during a Sunday service in St. Paul to protest a local pastor’s ties to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The pastor named in reporting, David Easterwood, is a senior state official with ICE; he was not present at the service. Protesters say they were exercising speech and assembly rights; prosecutors say the group engaged in conduct that crossed into actionable interference and related crimes.
Federal law-enforcement activity targeting migration-related operations has become politically charged in Minnesota and nationally. In the weeks after the sweep that included the church protest, internal disagreement within the U.S. Attorney’s Office intensified; Joseph H. Thompson resigned in mid-January, citing objections to how the immigration operation was handled. Thompson’s nearly 17-year tenure at the office included senior supervisory roles, and his abrupt transition from prosecutor to defense counsel is rare in cases where the same office brought the charges.
Main Event
According to charging documents and public reporting, Mr. Lemon met protest organisers in a grocery store parking lot on Jan. 18, then accompanied them into Cities Church, where they disrupted the service and chanted. Mr. Lemon streamed segments of the disruption live on social platforms; some of that footage has been cited in court filings. Federal investigators later opened a probe that led to felony charges against nine people connected to the protest, including Mr. Lemon.
On Feb. 10, 2026, a court filing showed that Joseph H. Thompson had joined Mr. Lemon’s legal team. Thompson had been a senior figure in the same U.S. Attorney’s Office that initiated the investigation, and his resignation from that office occurred in mid-January. The filing lists Thompson as co-counsel working alongside Abbe Lowell, a veteran defense attorney handling Mr. Lemon’s lead representation.
The government’s case, as described in indictments and filings, frames the events at Cities Church as part of a broader operation aimed at enforcing immigration-related laws and protecting government employees. Defense lawyers have signaled constitutional and factual defenses, citing First Amendment protections for speech and assembly and disputing elements the prosecution says amount to criminal conduct.
Analysis & Implications
Thompson’s switch from a senior prosecutorial role to defending a defendant charged by his former office immediately raises procedural and ethical questions. Federal ethical rules and standing Department of Justice policies govern access to nonpublic materials and the handling of information learned while in government service; courts also have discretion to impose screening or to limit participation if a conflict is shown. Expect motions seeking to clarify what Thompson knew and what information he may access while representing Mr. Lemon.
Strategically, Thompson’s prosecutorial background could help the defense identify procedural weaknesses in the government’s case, anticipate evidentiary arguments, and challenge investigative steps. Prosecutors-turned-defense-counsel often bring deep familiarity with investigative priorities and charging thresholds, which can sharpen cross-examination and motion practice. Still, courts tend to scrutinize such switches to preserve fairness to the original prosecution team.
The appointment also has political resonance. The case already drew attention because it intersects with contentious national debates over immigration enforcement and public protest. Having a recently resigned senior prosecutor join the defense of a high-profile journalist amplifies public scrutiny and could influence how the parties and judges manage pretrial publicity and jury selection in a district where opinions on enforcement run strong.
Comparison & Data
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jan. 18, 2026 | Protest at Cities Church in St. Paul; live stream by Don Lemon |
| Mid-Jan. 2026 | Joseph H. Thompson resigns from U.S. Attorney’s Office (Minnesota) |
| Feb. 10, 2026 | Court filing shows Thompson has joined Lemon’s defense team |
The table above places the core events in sequence: the protest, Thompson’s resignation, and the later court filing naming him as defense counsel. This timeline helps explain why questions about internal knowledge and potential screening of counsel will surface early in pretrial litigation. Procedural documents filed next will clarify whether the government seeks restrictions or whether defense counsel will be subject to court-ordered firewalls.
Reactions & Quotes
Observers from different quarters responded quickly after Thompson’s entry was made public. Below are short excerpts that capture public chants from the protest and the factual disclosure in the court filing, with context before and after each excerpt.
Context: Video and witness accounts from the Jan. 18 event show protesters chanting in the sanctuary as part of the disruption. The chants have been circulated in public reporting and cited by parties.
“ICE out!”
Protest participants / live stream
Context: Other segments of the stream contain a second widely reported chant that protesters used while moving through the church. Those phrases have been highlighted in both charging documents and news coverage as emblematic of the demonstrators’ demands.
“Hands up, don’t shoot!”
Protest participants / live stream
Context: The court filing that disclosed Thompson’s involvement was the formal vehicle notifying the judge, the government and other parties of the new counsel arrangement. It did not, in public reporting, spell out the exact scope of work or whether the court will impose screening measures.
“Joseph H. Thompson has joined the defense team,”
Court filing (Feb. 10, 2026)
Unconfirmed
- Whether Thompson had direct access to nonpublic investigative files specifically related to Mr. Lemon’s prosecution before he resigned is not disclosed publicly.
- It is not yet publicly confirmed whether the U.S. Attorney’s Office will seek a judicial order limiting Thompson’s participation or whether the defense will propose a specific screening protocol.
- Any internal DOJ communications explaining the rationale for Thompson’s resignation have not been released in full and remain the subject of reporting and inquiry.
Bottom Line
The addition of Joseph H. Thompson to Don Lemon’s defense team transforms a high-profile protest prosecution into a case that will test procedural ethics and the handling of internal transitions between government service and private practice. Thompson’s recent resignation and long tenure at the U.S. Attorney’s Office raise immediate questions about access to nonpublic information and the need for safeguards to protect prosecutorial work product.
In the short term, expect the parties to litigate motions over ethical screens and discovery control before moving to merits-based arguments about the scope of permissible protest-related conduct. Substantively, the case will continue to attract attention because it intersects with national debates on immigration enforcement, public protest, and the role of journalists in politically charged demonstrations.
Sources
- The New York Times (news reporting) — original reporting on counsel change and case background.
- U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota (official) — institutional context for federal prosecutions in the district.