Don Lemon is vowing to defend his name and his first amendment rights as he battles the Trump administration in federal court.
Lemon was arraigned on Friday, Feb. 13, in St. Paul, Minnesota, following his arrest last month in connection with his coverage of an anti-ICE protest.
The former CNN anchor now works as an independent journalist and reported about the protest live on his YouTube channel.
During his court appearance, Lemon pleaded not guilty to federal charges for following demonstrators into the Cities Church in St. Paul on Jan. 18.
Outside court , he said the Justice Department is trying to void his constitutionally protected work as a journalist under the First Amendment, which guarantees the right to free speech and freedom of the press.
“This isn’t just about me, this is about all journalists, especially in the United States,” Lemon said in a video posted on social media by local news station KMSP-TV.
Dozens of supporters stood outside the courthouse, voiced support for Lemon, and chanted “ICE Out.”
The media personality wasn’t the only person in court in connection with the protest. Four others were also arraigned and pleaded not guilty, KMSP reported.
Local journalist Georgia Fort was among those arrested at the protest.
Protesters said they entered the church because the pastor works for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Saint Paul.
Lemon was arrested on Jan. 29, in Los Angeles while he was in town to cover the Grammy Awards.
According to published reports, prosecutors revealed Friday that federal agents confiscated his phone during the arrest. The prosecution said it obtained a search warrant for the phone, and will return it when they finish searching it.
Lemon and the others were all charged under the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, commonly known as the FACE Act, which prohibits using force, intimidation or interfering with someone’s access to reproductive health services or religious worship.
Lemon issued a statement on social media, saying he won’t be intimidated by the Trump administration.
“For more than 30 years, I have been a journalist – and the power and protection of the first amendment has been the underpinning of my work,” Lemon’s statement read. “The events before my arrest, and what’s happened since, show that people are finally realizing what this administration is all about.”
“For them, the process is the punishment. Like all of you here in Minnesota, I will not be intimidated, I will not back down, and I will fight these baseless charges.”
My remarks following my court appearance today in Minneapolis. pic.twitter.com/KVqv3yvouf
— Don Lemon (@Donlemonbsky) February 13, 2026
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