By Micah Jonah
January 31, 2026
Former CNN anchor, Don Lemon has been arrested on federal charges following his coverage of an anti-ICE protest at a church in Minnesota, marking the latest flashpoint in tensions between the Trump administration and media critics.
Lemon, now an independent journalist after leaving CNN in 2023, was arrested late Thursday in Los Angeles and is expected to appear in court on Friday. According to U.S. Justice Department filings, the arrest is linked to a January 18 protest that disrupted a service at Cities Church in St. Paul, staged against President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.
Authorities allege that Lemon conspired to deprive others of their civil rights, violated a federal law that prohibits obstruction of access to places of worship. Lemon had livestreamed the protest, which drew national attention amid heightened confrontations between federal immigration agents and demonstrators in Minnesota.
The White House publicly acknowledged the arrest on social media, while press freedom advocates condemned the move, describing it as an attack on journalism and the First Amendment.
Lemon’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, insisted his client was engaged in constitutionally protected journalism, described the charges as unprecedented. Press advocates warned that the arrest signals growing pressure on media freedoms in the United States.
Two other journalists were also arrested in connection with the protest, further fuelling debate over press rights, law enforcement tactics and political dissent under the current U.S. administration.
