Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was taken into federal custody late Thursday following an investigation into a protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, earlier this month. The arrest comes weeks after Lemon joined a group of anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activists during a demonstration that interrupted Sunday worship at Cities Church.
According to a Friday morning announcement from Attorney General Pam Bondi, Lemon was arrested alongside Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy. “At my direction, early this morning federal agents arrested Don Lemon, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota,” Bondi said.
Lemon was reportedly in Los Angeles covering the Grammy Awards at the time of his arrest. As of Friday, the Department of Justice had not publicly clarified the specific charges he faces, and it did not immediately respond to requests for comment from national media outlets.
The January 18 incident involved protesters entering Cities Church during a worship service and shouting slogans and accusations. Lemon documented the event on video and filmed alongside activists, explaining on camera that they were calling the effort “Operation Pull-Up.” While Lemon has acknowledged being present, he has said he was unaware that the group planned to storm the church. At the same time, he previewed the gathering for viewers by describing it as a secret “operation.”
Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, has argued that Lemon’s actions were protected by the First Amendment. “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, maintaining that Lemon was present in his capacity as a journalist and not as a protester. Lemon has also stated that he has no affiliation with the group that carried out the protest.
Federal prosecutors had previously sought to arrest Lemon in connection with the incident, but those efforts initially stalled. Magistrate Judge Douglas Micko declined to sign arrest warrants for Lemon and his producer, finding that they were acting as members of the press rather than participants in the protest. The Trump-era Department of Justice had originally pursued charges against eight individuals, including Lemon and his producer, alleging conspiracy to interfere with the civil rights of congregants and violations of the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
Prosecutors appealed the decision to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Although one judge acknowledged that probable cause existed, the government ultimately withdrew its request for warrants and instead sought a grand jury indictment. Multiple people connected to the disruption have been arrested, including Chauntyll Louisa Allen, Nekima Levy Armstrong, and William Kelly.
The interruption drew criticism from religious leaders and state officials. The Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention described the protest as “an unacceptable trauma,” citing protesters yelling “insults and accusations at youth, children, and families.” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s office said that while the governor supports the right to protest, he does not condone disrupting places of worship.
