Lemon accused of acting as a political activist and conspiring with protestors

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Los Anglews Ca, in a move that has sent shockwaves through the media industry, former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles late Thursday night, January 29, 2026.

Lemon, who was in town to cover the Grammy Awards, now finds himself at the center of a major legal battle involving the First Amendment, religious freedom, and the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

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The Charges: What Happened at Cities Church?

The arrest stems from a January 18 incident at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Protesters entered the building disrupting a Sunday service to demonstrate against a pastor who reportedly holds a high-ranking position within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to a statement from Attorney General Pam Bondi, the arrest was made at her direction. Lemon is being charged with:

• Conspiracy to Deprive Rights: Alleging he was part of a coordinated effort to interfere with others’ civil rights.

• FACE Act Violations: Obstructing or intimidating people seeking to exercise their right to religious worship at a house of worship.

“Journalism is Not a Crime”: The Defense

Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, has condemned the arrest as a “stunning and troubling effort to silence a “journalist” for doing his job.” Lemon maintains he was present solely to document the protest for his independent platform, The Don Lemon Show.

“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 First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth.” — Abbe Lowell, Attorney

Notably, a federal magistrate judge had rejected the government’s initial bid for an arrest warrant last week, finding a lack of probable cause. However, the DOJ successfully moved forward with a grand jury indictment this week to bypass the previous ruling.

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The Broader Conflict in Minnesota

The church protest occurred amid weeks of civil unrest in the Twin Cities following the fatal shootings of two Anti-Ice protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by federal agents during immigration enforcement actions.

Critics of the arrest, and always playing the “Black Card” include the National Association of Black “Journalists” (NABJ) and several Democratic lawmakers, argue that the DOJ is “weaponizing” the law to intimidate “reporters” who cover dissent.

• The Contrast: While federal agents have aggressively pursued those present at the church disruption, there has been significant public outcry over the lack of a civil rights inquiry into the federal shootings of the two Minnesota protesters.

What’s Next?

Don Lemon is expected to make an initial appearance in a Los Angeles federal court on Friday, January 30, before being transferred to Minnesota to face the charges. If convicted of the federal civil rights crimes, he could face significant prison time.

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