Don Lemon has been arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles in connection with his coverage earlier this month of an anti-ICE protest in Minnesota, his attorney Abbe Lowell said early Friday morning.
The former CNN anchor was on the West Coast to cover the 2026 Grammy Awards when he was taken into custody.
Lemon now hosts “The Don Lemon Show” live-streaming program on YouTube, and has over one million subscribers. His attorney called the journalist’s arrest unconstitutional.
“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis is no different than what he has always done,” said Lowell.
“The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable. There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work,” the attorney added.
Related: Don Lemon Vows ‘I Will Not Stop Now’ After Release From Federal Custody
His arrest came after he followed protesters inside a church in St. Paul on Jan. 18, and disrupted Sunday services. Protesters targeted the church because pastor David Easterwood is said to be acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Saint Paul Field Office.
The protest angered conservatives and Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed to take action.
“Our nation was settled and founded by people fleeing religious persecution. Religious freedom is the bedrock of this country,” Bondi wrote last week in a statement on X. “We will protect our pastors. We will protect our churches. We will protect Americans of faith.
She noted that some of the protesters who entered the church had already been taken into custody “at my direction.”
The DOJ had threatened last week to pursue charges against Lemon for entering the church, and reporting about the protest. But on Jan. 22, a Minnesota magistrate judge refused to sign an order approving charges against the newscaster, as previously reported.
Lemon’s attorney said last week the Trump administration was trying to “silence and punish” a working journalist.
You can read the full statement on Lemon’s arrest below:
Discover more from Urban Hollywood 411
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
