Prosecutor who left Minnesota office amid anti-ICE unrest joins Don Lemon defense team

A longtime federal prosecutor who left the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota last month amid a wave of resignations linked to concerns over the Trump administration's handling of anti-ICE agitators has joined former CNN anchor Don Lemon’s defense team, court filings show.

Joseph H. Thompson, a former senior leader in the Minnesota U.S. attorney’s office before he resigned, will now defend Lemon alongside Abbe Lowell, bringing firsthand experience from the same federal district prosecuting the case. Lowell is a well-known defense attorney who has sparred with the Trump administration in a number of high-profile cases in the past year alone, representing New York Attorney General Letitia James, Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook and former National Security Adviser John Bolton. 

Lemon will fight these charges "vigorously and thoroughly" in court, Lowell told Fox News Digital last month.  

According to a formal notice of appearance, Thompson will appear alongside Lemon in federal court Friday for an arraignment and initial court appearance in the Minnesota federal district.

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Lemon, who describes himself as an independent journalist, was arrested last month for his alleged involvement in the storming of Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, by anti-ICE agitators. Eight others were also arrested and charged in an event that Attorney General Pam Bondi described at the time as a "coordinated attack." 

"Make no mistake, under President Trump’s leadership and this administration, you have the right to worship freely and safely," Bondi said in a video posted to social media.  "And if I haven’t been clear already, if you violate that sacred right, we are coming after you."

Thompson is one of roughly 14 federal prosecutors who resigned from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota since January — a mass exodus many have attributed to the Justice Department's handling of the unrest in Minnesota. He was one of five U.S. prosecutors who resigned from the office shortly after the fatal shooting of Renee Good and concerns over DOJ's handling of the case.

"It was an honor and privilege to serve as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in both the District of Minnesota and Northern District of Illinois," Thompson said on LinkedIn to announce his departure. He did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the news that he will represent Lemon. 

Thompson previously spent 11 years at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota, including in key leadership roles. He served as the acting U.S. attorney for the district through October 2025 and headed up the fraud and public corruption section for the federal district.

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Lemon was charged with conspiracy to deprive the rights of others and a FACE Act violation related to his alleged involvement with the anti-ICE disruption at Cities Church. 

The group was seen chanting "ICE out," according to video footage, and interrupting a worship service.

Lemon was released without bail on Jan. 30. The FACE Act, passed in 1994, is a federal law that prohibits the use of force, intimidation, or obstruction to deliberately "injure, intimidate, or interfere" with an individual's ability to exercise their right to religious freedom at a place of worship. 

FACE Act violations carry penalties ranging from fines to prison time, depending on the severity of the violation alleged and other contributing factors. 

Because the FACE Act classifies a first-time violation involving the use of force or physical obstruction as a misdemeanor, Lemon could face a maximum of one year in federal prison if prosecutors seek those charges.

Lowell has argued the case against Lemon is an "unprecedented attack" on the First Amendment, and an attempt by the Justice Department to chill free speech protections.

And Lemon, for his part, said he had been attending the demonstration in a reporting capacity. 

In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Lemon remarked, "I’m just here photographing, I’m not part of the group … I’m a journalist." 

"I went there to chronicle and document and record," Lemon told Jimmy Kimmel in an interview last week, adding, "There is a difference between a protester and a journalist."

Lowell echoed this claim. "Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done."