Don Lemon was “taken into custody by federal agents” Thursday night, his attorney said.
The former CNN anchor has been charged with violating federal law for allegedly interfering with a person’s right to worship during an anti-ICE protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 18, The New York Times reported Friday.
The 59-year-old was handcuffed in Los Angeles after attending the 2026 Recording Academy Honors.
Lemon, in particular, is in California to cover this weekend’s Grammy Awards.
His attorney, Abby Rowell, released a statement via Instagram, promising that “Don will vigorously and thoroughly fight these charges in court.”
“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different from anything he’s ever done. The First Amendment exists to protect journalists in their role in highlighting truth and holding those in power accountable.”
“Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful protesters in Minnesota, Renee Goode and Alex Preti, the Trump Justice Department is spending time, attention, and resources on this case,” the statement continued.
Lowell called his client’s arrest “an attempt to distract from the many crises facing this administration” and an “unprecedented attack on the First Amendment.”
Specifically, the government is seeking to prosecute eight people in connection with the church protests, including 30 to 40 people seeking to confront the Rev. David Easterwood, head of the ICE field office in St. Paul.
Lemon posted a video of the protests at the time, saying, “I’m sure people here don’t like it, but protests are not comfortable.”
That night, Attorney General Pam Bondi tweeted: “When state leaders refuse to act responsibly to prevent illegal activity, the Department of Justice will continue to mobilize to prosecute federal crimes and ensure the rule of law prevails.”
Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon told Lemon he was “notifying” him and insisted on social media that “houses of worship are not public spaces for protest.”
Last week, a magistrate approved charges against the three non-Lemons, who were arrested on January 22nd.
A federal appeals court subsequently denied the Justice Department’s right to issue the remaining five warrants.
“The magistrate judge’s reported actions confirm the nature of Don’s First Amendment-protected work as a reporter in Minnesota over the weekend,” Lemon’s attorney said in a statement.
Lemon himself told Fox News Digital that he was “cast as the face of the protests” even though he was not “the only reporter.”
Amid a “barrage of homophobic and racist slurs, as well as violent threats,” he insisted: “I stand by my reporting.”
“All this time and energy could be far better spent investigating the tragic death of Renee Nicole Good, the very issue that brought people to the streets in the first place,” concluded Lemon, who was ousted from CNN in 2023 over a sexism scandal.
