Journalist Don Lemon arrested in connection to Minnesota ICE protest

Press freedom groups decry arrest of former CNN anchor as lawyer pledges to fight charges ‘vigorously’.Published On 30 Jan 2026Journalist Don Lemon has been arrested in connection with his coverage of a protest against United States President Donald Trump’s deadly immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota.Lemon’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said on Friday that the journalist had been arrested in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy Awards.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US witnessed many ICE-related deaths in 2026. Here are their storieslist 2 of 3Somalis in Minnesotalist 3 of 3Minnesota judge orders ICE chief to appear in courtend of listIt was not immediately clear what charges Lemon was facing. In recent weeks, however, the Department of Justice indicated it would target Lemon for his attendance at a January 18 protest, in which demonstrators disrupted a church service in the city of St Paul, Minnesota.“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell said in a statement.He pointed to the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects the freedom of the press.“The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable,” Lowell said. “Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court”.US Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the arrest on Friday, saying Lemon had been taken into custody with three others in connection with what she described as the “coordinated attack on Cities Church in St Paul, Minnesota”.Lemon was part of a series of arrests that morning, all related to the church demonstration. They included independent journalist Georgia Fort, as well as activists Jamael Lydell Lundy and Trahern Jeen Crews.