US EditionDon Lemon arrested, faces federal civil rights charges over Minnesota church protest
Don Lemon faces federal civil rights charges for allegedly conspiring to disrupt a church service during an anti-immigration protest, a case raising press freedom concerns.
- Don Lemon, a former CNN anchor, was arrested Thursday in Los Angeles while covering the Grammy Awards, facing federal civil‑rights charges related to a Minnesota church protest.
- On Jan. 18, demonstrators entered Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota to protest a pastor with ICE ties, staging a 'takeover-style attack' that ended the worship service and frightened congregants.
- A federal magistrate judge previously found the evidence against Lemon insufficient, yet he was arrested Thursday and released on a personal recognizance bond, telling reporters `I will not stop now, I will not stop ever. I look forward to my day court`.
- Civil‑rights and journalism groups condemned the arrests, with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison saying, `In Minnesota, we do not treat journalists like criminals for doing their jobs`, and NABJ criticizing the move.
- The episode amplifies broader First Amendment concerns as the Department of Justice alleges Lemon's actions were `criminal reconnaissance`, while critics say prosecutors ignore ICE agents linked to recent deaths.
722 Articles
722 Articles
Journalist Lemon arrested after covering Minnesota protest
LOS ANGELES — Journalist Don Lemon has been charged with federal civil rights crimes in connection with an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a Minnesota church, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Friday.
January 30, 2026 – Los Angeles (U.S.) – EFE. Communicator Don Lemon, recognized for his previous record in CNN, regained his freedom on Friday after being arrested in the city of Los Angeles. Authorities pointed out him for allegedly breaking federal regulations while doing his informative work during a demonstration in a temple in Minnesota. The protest in which he participated sought to denounce the migration operations carried out by the Dona…
Journalist Don Lemon charged in anti-ICE Church protest
Journalist Don Lemon was released from custody Friday, January 30, after he was arrested and hit with federal civil rights charges over his coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a Minnesota church. Lemon was arrested Thursday, January 29, while across the country in Los Angeles, while another independent journalist and two protest participants were arrested in Minnesota. He struck a confident, defiant to…
Nationwide dissent grows over ICE surge
Protests against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown spread across the United States on Friday as outrage deepened over the fatal shootings of two US citizens during federal enforcement operations in Minnesota, with demonstrators demanding an end to "heavy-handed and discriminatory tactics". Student organisers called for walkouts and a nationwide shutdown, urging "no work, no school and no shopping" in protest against the presence o…
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