Don Lemon Arrested Over Minnesota ICE Protest, Lawyer Issues Statement

Late Thursday night, journalist Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents for his role in covering an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church. Lemon had been on the scene in Minneapolis following the deaths of two Americans. Now, his arrest is sparking concerns about the First Amendment and President Donald Trump’s alleged revenge plot.

His attorney Abbe Lowell shared a statement. “Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy awards,” it began. “Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done.”

The charges are connected to him reported live from inside the Cities Church on Jan. 18. Then, peaceful activists disrupted a church service — where an ICE agent is a pastor — in protest against ICE. The controversial demonstration came days after Renee Good was killed by agents and only days before another American citizen, Alex Pretti, was gunned down by ICE.

We previously told you the Department of Justice (DOJ) moved to arrest activists responsible for the church protest and even threatened to slap Lemon with conspiracy charges. A Minnesota judge rejected the DOJ’s push to bring forth charges against the former CNN journalist earlier this week. But clearly, that didn’t stop his arrest.

His attorney added, “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.”

Lemon defended his reporting in a recent video posted to his account. “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.”

In a video during the protest, Lemon can be heard saying, “I’m just here photographing, I’m not part of the group… I’m a journalist.”

Still, Lemon has become somewhat of a MAGA enemy over the past year. From his legal battle with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, to online beef with Nicki Minaj and his outspoken criticism of President Donald Trump’s administration, the journalist has long faced threats of formal investigations and even criminal charges for his reporting.

As of right now, the current charges facing Lemon remain unclear. In the past, he’s been accused of violating the Enforcement Act of 1871 — also know as the Ku Klux Klan Act — which makes intruding on certain certain civil rights, like the right to practice one’s religion, illegal.

He spent the night in a jail cell, according to reports. He’s expected to make his first appearance in court sometime Friday. Meanwhile, tensions in Minneapolis continue to rise. Activists have called for a nation-wide general strike on Friday (Jan. 30) to protest ICE activity in the state.