Former CNN Anchor Don Lemon Arrested Over Minnesota Church Protest Coverage

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has been arrested by federal agents in connection with a January protest at a Minnesota church where demonstrators disrupted a religious service. Lemon says he was present only as a journalist documenting events and had no role in the disruption, a claim his lawyer says is protected under the First Amendment. The arrest, which follows a judge’s earlier rejection of initial charges, has raised fresh concerns about press freedom amid tensions over protests and US immigration policies.

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has been arrested by federal agents after entering a church in Minnesota and recording protesters who disrupted a religious service, according to his lawyer. The arrest has triggered renewed debate over press freedom and the limits of protest enforcement at a time of heightened political tensions surrounding the immigration policies of US President Donald Trump.
Lemon was taken into custody in Los Angeles, where he had been covering the Grammy Awards, his attorney Abbe Lowell confirmed. The arrest is linked to a protest that took place on January 18 at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where demonstrators interrupted an ongoing worship service.
Authorities have so far not disclosed the specific charge or charges Lemon is facing. The development has drawn particular attention because it comes shortly after a magistrate judge rejected prosecutors’ initial request to bring charges against him, raising questions about the legal justification for the arrest and the decision to proceed despite the earlier ruling.
Officials from the Trump administration have strongly condemned the disruption of the church service, accusing protesters of intimidating Christian worshippers during the event. The protest occurred at Cities Church in St. Paul, a congregation where a local official with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement serves as a pastor, adding a sensitive political dimension to the incident.
Prosecutors have alleged that participants in the demonstration committed civil rights violations in connection with the disruption of worship. In the days leading up to Lemon’s arrest, two other individuals involved in the protest were also taken into custody, including a prominent civil rights attorney, further intensifying public scrutiny of the case.
Lemon has stated that he had no affiliation with the group that entered the church and disrupted the service. He has maintained that he was present strictly in his role as a journalist documenting events and that he was unaware protesters planned to interrupt the service.
His attorney, Abbe Lowell, has strongly defended Lemon, insisting that his actions constituted constitutionally protected journalistic activity under the First Amendment. Lowell said Lemon was doing nothing different from the reporting he has carried out throughout his decades-long career in journalism.
“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.”
Lowell also criticised the Justice Department’s priorities, arguing that federal authorities should be focusing their attention on investigating the killing of two peaceful protesters in Minnesota by federal agents, rather than pursuing charges against a journalist. He described Lemon’s arrest as a troubling signal about the current state of press freedom in the United States.
Don Lemon is an American journalist widely known for his time as a CNN anchor, a role he held from 2006 until his departure in April 2023 following controversial comments and internal disputes at the network. Since leaving CNN, he has continued his media career as an independent journalist and commentator, producing his own digital and streaming content.