Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested after a protest at a Minneapolis church
Journalist Don Lemon has been arrested in connection with an anti-immigrant protest that disrupted a church service in Minnesota, his attorney said Friday.
Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles, where he had been speaking at the Grammy Awards, said attorney Abbe Lowell.
Lemon’s arrest came after a magistrate judge last week rejected prosecutors’ first request to indict the journalist.
Lemon was among four people arrested Friday morning, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a press release.
It is not clear what charge or charges Lemon is facing in the Jan. protest. 18, which took place between two shootings that killed people working for the federal government in Minneapolis, as part of the campaign of US President Donald Trump to detain people who are not authorized to stay in the country.
Two of the dead were American citizens and bystanders, while a third was shot in the leg in another incident.
Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023 after 17 years at the organization, said he was not affiliated with the organization that went to the church and was there as a reporter reporting on the protesters.
“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis is no different than what he has always done,” Lowell said in a statement. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists in their role to illuminate the truth and hold those in power accountable.”
Lowell added that “Don will fight these charges vigorously and diligently in court.”
A 4th person was arrested
A prominent human rights lawyer and two other people involved in the protest were arrested before Lemon last week after disrupting the service at Cities Church in St.
The US Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation after the group disrupted services by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” referring to the 37-year-old mother of three who was shot and killed on Jan. 7 is an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
“Hear it loud and clear: WE HAVE NO TOLERANCE FOR ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on social media last week.
Human rights lawyer Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen and William Kelly were charged with conspiracy to commit human rights violations for allegedly threatening and harassing believers, according to the criminal complaint.
The White House drew criticism for changing Armstrong’s civil rights image on social media to reflect his arrest.
Cities Church belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention and lists one of its pastors as David Easterwood, who heads the ICE office.
The US has a long history of protests inside places of worship, but religious organizations have tightened security measures in recent years as deadly attacks on houses of worship and security concerns have grown. Two children were killed in a shooting at a church in Minneapolis last August.
The Justice Department’s swift investigation into the church disturbance is separate from its decision not to open a human rights investigation into the killing of Good by an ICE officer. The ministry has not said whether it will open a human rights investigation into the killing of Alex Pretti, 37, on Jan. 24.
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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison accused the Trump administration of “fraud” for demanding the state hand over voter information as it continues its deadly immigration enforcement crackdown. Ellison told As It Happens host Nil Köksal that the presence of thousands of ICE agents in Minnesota has his neighbors, as well as his legal immigrant wife, living in fear.
Funding becomes a flashpoint
“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 a real case of wrongdoing in this case,” Lowell said.
The federal government’s Operation Metro Surge has led to protests elsewhere in the US than Minnesota, and the Department of Homeland Security’s funding has become a milestone in negotiations to avoid a partial government shutdown that begins this weekend.
Trump, who is fresh off his first presidential campaign in 2016, lashed out at Lemon on social media in response to the news, calling him a “stupid man on television.”
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Few of the people Trump has felt offended by, particularly politicians and officials, have faced charges or the threat of prosecution so far in his non-consecutive presidency.
Democrats in Congress have accused the Justice Department of setting aside previous restrictions on independence to do what Trump, who promised “payback” in his 2024 presidential campaign, wants.
The powerful Lowell, who previously served as a lawyer for the president’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, currently represents New York State Attorney General Letitia James, Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook and former Homeland Security employee Miles Taylor. Each has been the target of a Justice Department investigation.
A new investigation has been announced
The Trump administration has been criticized for prejudging the killings, and days after Good’s shooting, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said it was inconsistent with the demands of a human rights investigation.
The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday said the Federal Bureau of Investigation is now leading the investigation into Pretti’s shooting death. At the beginning of this week, the Department said that the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit within the department will be in charge of this investigation.
US President Donald Trump’s border chief Tom Homan says immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis must be safer and more targeted. The change in tone comes after ongoing unrest and the killing of two Americans by federal agents.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during an interview with Fox News on Thursday that the FBI was leading the way. Tricia McLaughlin, spokeswoman for the department, said Friday in an email that HSI will support them.
Separately, Customs and Border Protection is conducting its own internal investigation.
Homeland Security did not immediately respond to questions about when or why the change was made.
Trump earlier this week sent his border governor, Tom Homan, to Minneapolis, and the controversial head of the Customs and Border Patrol, Greg Bovino, is leaving the country after many comments.
Homan said Thursday that he wants ICE and CBP agents to focus on programs targeting criminals. Agents are accused of randomly stopping people on the street to demand written proof of legal US residency or citizenship and contact with protesters.
Homan talked about a possible reduction in the size of the management team in Minnesota, but there were no specific announcements on that.
When asked by a reporter Thursday night if the administration was “backing down” in Minnesota, Trump replied: “No, no. Not at all.”
