What you need to know
Don Lemon was arrested overnight in Los Angeles after reporting an anti-ICE protest.
The former CNN anchor’s attorney, Abby Rowell, said in a statement Friday, Jan. 30, that Lemon was “taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles while covering the Grammy Awards.”
The arrest stems from a protest on Jan. 18 at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where demonstrators interrupted services to protest immigration enforcement, chanting “ICE out!”
PEOPLE has reached out to Lemon’s attorney as well as the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for additional information.
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The New York Times reported that prosecutors have accused Lemon of violating federal law that protects people’s rights to attend services in houses of worship, but Lemon has said he joined the church solely in his role as a journalist covering the demonstrations.
“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than anything he’s ever done,” the statement posted on Instagram continued.
“The First Amendment exists to protect journalists in their role in shining a light on the truth and holding those in power accountable,” the statement said. “There has never been a more important time for people like Don to do this work.”
Lemon works as an independent journalist and hosts a self-titled show on YouTube. She left CNN in 2023 after 17 years at the network after facing backlash for comments she made about women and aging.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 59-year-old man was participating in a livestream that started outside the church and then followed protesters as they entered the building. Lemon reportedly interviewed protesters, believers, and pastors during the protests.
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According to the New York Times, federal prosecutors initially sought to charge eight people, including Lemon, in connection with the protests. But a magistrate who reviewed the evidence last week approved charges against just three people, saying there was insufficient evidence against Lemon and others.
The Justice Department then petitioned a federal appeals court to force a magistrate judge to issue additional arrest warrants, including one for Lemon, but that request was denied, the paper reported.
Lemon previously addressed the incident in a video, claiming he was not participating in the protest but reporting on it.
“When the protests started at the church, we covered it and did some journalistic work by talking to pastors, church members, organization members and other people involved,” Lemon said. “That’s it. That’s what we call journalism.”
The New York Times reported that Justice Department officials have said they intend to prosecute protesters who appear to have crossed the line into illegal activities protected by the First Amendment, while demonstrators in Minneapolis say their constitutional rights are being violated in the federal government’s aggressive crackdown on immigration.
Tensions in the region remain high following the shooting deaths of two protesters by federal immigration agents. Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three, was shot while sitting in her car earlier this month, and intensive care nurse Alex Preti died in a separate encounter just two weeks later.
“Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful protesters in Minnesota, the Trump Justice Department has devoted its time, attention and resources to this arrest, which is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case,” Lemon’s lawyers said in a statement.
