Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles on the night of January 29, following his coverage of an anti-ICE protest. The 59-year-old's attorney Abbe Lowell, said in a statement on Friday that Don "was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles, where he was covering the 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," read the post shared on Instagram. "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."
It continued: "Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this arrest, and that is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case. 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."
The arrest comes after a January 18 protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where demonstrators disrupted a religious service to oppose immigration enforcement, chanting "ICE out."
Prosecutors allege that Don violated a federal law designed to protect individuals' right to participate in religious services at places of worship. Don was livestreaming outside the church before following protesters inside the building. He reportedly interviewed protestors, congregants and a pastor during the protest.
According to The New York Times, federal prosecutors initially sought charges against eight people in connection with the protest, including Lemon. However, a magistrate judge who reviewed the evidence last week approved charges against only three, finding the evidence against Lemon and the others insufficient.
The Justice Department later asked a federal appeals court to compel the magistrate judge to issue additional arrest warrants, including one for Lemon, but the request was denied.
Don addressed the incident in a video. "Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism, which was report on it and talk to the people involved, including the pastor, members of the church and members of the organization," he said. "That’s it. That’s called journalism."
Don currently works as a freelance journalist and hosts an eponymous show on YouTube. Following a 17-year stint at CNN, he left the network in 2023 following controversy over comments he made about women and ageing.