ST PAUL, USA — Former CNN host Don Lemon was arrested on Thursday, January 29, 2026, in connection with his coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a church service in Minnesota earlier this month, according to his lawyer and federal officials.
Mr. Lemon, now an independent journalist, was taken into custody by federal agents in Los Angeles, where he had been covering the Grammy Awards, his lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said.
The 59-year-old is scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Friday.
The arrest stems from an incident on January 18, when Mr. Lemon entered Cities Church in St Paul with a group of protesters who accused one of the church’s pastors of being an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official. Mr. Lemon recorded and live-streamed the disruption on YouTube.
“Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court,” Mr. Lowell said.
Defence and Official Responses
In a statement posted to Mr. Lemon’s Instagram account, Mr. Lowell said his client’s actions constituted protected journalistic activity.
“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” he said.
He added: “This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand.”
In a video posted online, Mr. Lemon defended his conduct, saying: “Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism, which was report on it.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Friday that federal agents had also arrested three others: Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort and Jamael Lydell Lundy. Ms. Bondi accused them and Mr. Lemon of taking part in a “coordinated attack” on the church.
The Department of Justice has not publicly detailed the specific charges against Mr. Lemon. The BBC said it had contacted the department for comment.
Legal Background of the Case
The Trump administration initially sought to charge eight people involved in the protest with conspiring to deprive rights and interfering with religious freedom in a house of worship.
A magistrate judge approved charges against only three of the suspects, excluding Mr. Lemon. Prosecutors challenged that decision, but an appeals court advised that the case be presented to a federal grand jury.
Mr. Lemon was dismissed from CNN in April 2023 after 17 years with the network. He had apologised for on-air remarks suggesting that Nikki Haley, then a Republican presidential candidate, was past her prime.
Footage of the Protest
During the January protest, Mr. Lemon broadcast live with demonstrators whom he described as “resistance protesters.” The stream began in a church car park, where he told viewers: “This is an operation that is secret.
“I can’t tell you what is going to happen, but you’re going to watch it live unfold here on ‘The Don Lemon Show.’”
He followed the group into the church, initially without his camera operator. His microphone recorded a woman shouting “excuse me pastor” while a speaker appeared to be addressing the congregation.
Protesters chanted “Justice for Renee Good,” referring to a United States citizen who was fatally shot on January 7 during a confrontation with an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
Video footage showed protesters and church members shouting at one another inside the building, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
Mr. Lemon repeatedly stated that he was present in a professional capacity.
“We’re not part of the activists, but we’re here just reporting on them,” he said.
A pastor at the church responded during the disruption: “This is unacceptable, it’s shameful. It’s shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship.”
Reactions From Media and Officials
Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said in an interview with Megyn Kelly: “We’re going to pursue this to the ends of the Earth.”
CNN said the arrest of its former employee raised “profoundly concerning questions about press freedom and the First Amendment” and said it would closely monitor the case.
The arrest marks the second high-profile action taken against a journalist by the Trump administration this month.
On January 14, federal agents executed a search warrant at the home of a Washington Post reporter and seized her electronic devices in connection with an alleged leak of classified information.
Protests linked to immigration enforcement operations have continued in Minnesota, where confrontations involving federal agents have resulted in the deaths of two United States citizens: Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
