Don Lemon speaks onstage during Telling the Truth in an Age of Misinformation at the 2025 Blackweek Conference at Spring Studios on October 07, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested by federal authorities in Los Angeles on Friday, January 30, 2026, in connection with a protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota earlier this month, authorities and Lemon’s legal team confirmed. The arrest has ignited debate over press freedom and the interpretation of First Amendment protections.
Lemon, 59, who was fired from CNN in 2023 after a long career with the network, was taken into custody by federal agents while covering the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, according to his attorney Abbe Lowell.
Federal prosecutors allege Lemon is connected to a January 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, where demonstrators opposing immigration enforcement entered a Sunday service and disrupted worship. Authorities say the demonstration interfered with congregants’ rights and violated federal statutes protecting religious freedom.
Lemon was arrested alongside three other individuals, including another journalist and two activists, though exact federal charges have not yet been publicly detailed by the Justice Department.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that Lemon was charged with conspiracy and with interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshipers, statutes often invoked in cases involving disruptions to religious services.
Lemon’s attorney has strongly contested the charges, arguing that he was present solely as a journalist documenting the protest and did not participate in any criminal activity. According to the defense, Lemon’s reporting is protected by the First Amendment, which shields freedom of the press and the right to gather news in public interest.
“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell said in a statement. His legal team called the arrest “an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment.”
Earlier in the case, a federal magistrate judge in Minnesota declined to authorize arrest warrants against Lemon and several other journalists after reviewing the evidence, though prosecutors later pursued the case through a grand jury.
The protest at Cities Church centered on anger over immigration enforcement actions in the Twin Cities region, fueled by recent confrontations between federal agents and local residents. Activists targeted the church after learning that one of its pastors also served as a field official for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), though he was reportedly not present during the service.
Video and livestream footage from the day show protesters chanting and confronting worshipers, with Lemon interviewing participants and church members during the event.
Lemon’s arrest has drawn sharp criticism from journalists, press freedom groups, and lawmakers who view the move as a serious threat to constitutional protections. Advocacy organizations warn that prosecuting a journalist for covering a protest could set a dangerous precedent for news gathering in the United States.
Some political figures have echoed these concerns, framing the arrest as part of broader challenges facing press freedom and civil liberties. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) said Lemon’s arrest marked a significant threat to the First Amendment.
Lemon remains in federal custody and is expected to make a court appearance regarding the charges. His legal team plans to vigorously contest the case, asserting that his actions were journalistic in nature and constitutionally protected.
