UPDATE (1/30/2026 at 2:50 p.m. ET): Journalist Don Lemon has been charged with federal civil rights crimes tied to an anti-ICE protest in Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Friday, January 30.
Lemon was arrested on Thursday, January 29, in Los Angeles by federal agents, according to his attorney, Abbe Lowell. The former CNN anchor was charged with conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of churchgoers during an anti-ICE protest at the Cities Church in St. Paul on January 18, per The Associated Press. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official is a pastor at the church.
Lemon said he was at the church to document the protest.
ORIGINAL STORY (1/30/2026 at 8:39 a.m. ET): Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents on Thursday night (January 29) in connection with his presence at a Minnesota Church Protest earlier this month.
According to CBS News, both the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations were involved in the arrest and a grand jury was empaneled yesterday. Details on the exact charges Lemon is facing have not been made available at the time of writing.
Lemon’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, confirmed his client was taken into custody on Thursday night in Los Angeles, where the news host was reporting on this weekend’s upcoming Grammy Awards.
“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. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it 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.”
Lemon’s old network CNN reacted to what happened in a statement condemning his arrest:
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) January 30, 2026
On January 18, Lemon posted footage on the social media app BlueSky of protestors interrupting a church service in Minneapolis. One of the church’s pastors is reportedly a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in St. Paul, Minnesota.
In the video, Lemon interviewed protestors before they entered the church and disrupted the service. The protest came following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Minneapolis woman Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent earlier this month.
His reporting sparked some backlash at the time, including from Nicki Minaj, who has recently formed a friendship with President Donald Trump, who slammed Lemon as “disgusting” for his coverage of the protest and said he should be in jail.
Lemon’s lawyer said his client will “vigorously” fight the charges, stating, “This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”
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