Federal agents detained the journalist in connection with an ICE protest that disrupted a church service in Minnesota
Federal agents arrested Don Lemon Thursday night in Los Angeles in connection with his coverage of an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a church service in Minnesota earlier this month.
According to The New York Times, Lemon was charged with violating a federal law by allegedly impeding people’s right to worship during a demonstration at Cities Church in Minneapolis on January 18.
In a statement released Friday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said federal authorities arrested Lemon and three others “in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.”
Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, condemned the arrest, calling it a political distraction by the Trump administration from investigations into the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis.
Lowell said Lemon was acting as a journalist and exercising his First Amendment rights, documenting the demonstration to inform the public and hold authorities accountable.
Lemon was in Los Angeles to cover the Grammys this weekend and had attended the 2026 Recording Academy Honors on Thursday evening — the same night federal agents took him into custody.
Federal prosecutors had previously sought to charge eight people following the Cities Church protest, including Lemon. However, a magistrate judge approved charges against only three individuals and declined to authorize charges against Lemon. A federal appeals court later denied the Justice Department’s request for additional warrants.
Despite those rulings, authorities appear to have gone before a grand jury to secure an indictment against Lemon — a move similar to the one used to arrest Georgia Fort, a Minnesota-based independent journalist who was also detained for her coverage of the protest.
Fort recorded video of federal agents arriving at her home early Friday morning to arrest her.
The demonstration involved approximately 30 to 40 people and was aimed at confronting Cities Church pastor David Easterwood, who is also a Minneapolis ICE official. Easterwood was not present at the church when the protest took place.
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