Journalist Don Lemon was arrested Friday, January 30, 2026, by federal agents in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy Awards.
His arrest is connected to a protest against immigration enforcement operations that took place on January 18 at a Minnesota church.
Three other individuals were also arrested in connection with the case: Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy.
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the arrests on social media Friday morning.
“At my direction, federal agents arrested early this morning 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.
The exact charges against Lemon and the other individuals arrested have not yet been specified.
Don Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023, maintains that he has no affiliation with the organization that entered the church and insists he was present solely as a journalist to document the protest.
“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” his attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable.”
During his livestream from the church, Lemon repeatedly stated: “I’m not here as an activist. I’m here as a journalist.” He described the scene before him and interviewed churchgoers as well as demonstrators.
Initial Indictment Attempt Rejected
A magistrate judge rejected prosecutors’ initial attempt to indict the veteran journalist last week. Shortly afterward, Lemon predicted during his online show that the administration would try again to arrest him.
“And guess what,” he said. “Here I am. Keep trying. That’s not going to stop me from being a journalist. That’s not going to diminish my voice. Go ahead, make me into the new Jimmy Kimmel, if you want. Because I’m not going anywhere.”
Georgia Fort, an independent journalist, livestreamed on Facebook Live the moments before her arrest Friday.
“Agents are at my door right now,” she said, adding that they had an arrest warrant and a grand jury indictment.
“I don’t feel like I have my First Amendment right as a member of the press, because now federal agents are at my door arresting me for filming the church protest a few weeks ago,” Fort added.
Voices Rise Against the Arrests
The Reverend Al Sharpton, a prominent civil rights leader, called Lemon’s arrest “alarming,” accusing the Trump administration of using “a sledgehammer” against “the knees of the First Amendment.”
“We cannot let Donald Trump put tape over our mouths to muffle our right to free speech, when his administration is conducting some of the most heinous actions in American history,” Sharpton said.
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) said it was “outraged and deeply alarmed” by Lemon’s arrest, calling the action an effort to “criminalize and threaten press freedom under the guise of law enforcement.”
Kelly McBride, senior vice president at the Poynter Institute, said these arrests and the recent search of a Washington Post journalist’s home send a clear message aimed at discouraging journalists from documenting opposition to the Trump administration.
“This is all about intimidation. And it appears that this administration does not like being scrutinized by the public and journalists. They don’t want people to see what they’re doing,” McBride said.
The January 18 protest took place at Cities Church in St. Paul, which belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention. One of its pastors, David Easterwood, also heads the local ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) field office.
Protesters had interrupted the church service by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” referring to the 37-year-old mother of three who was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
The Department of Justice opened a civil rights investigation following the disruption of the service.
Church Welcomes Arrests
Lead pastor Jonathan Parnell praised the arrests in a statement.
“We are grateful that the Department of Justice acted swiftly to protect Cities Church so that we can continue to faithfully live out the church’s mission to worship Jesus and make him known,” he said.
Attorney General Bondi posted a video on social media Friday, warning: “Under President Trump’s leadership and this administration, you have the right to worship freely and safely. And if I haven’t been clear already, if you violate that sacred right, we are coming after you.”
Trahern Jeen Crews is a leader of Black Lives Matter Minnesota who has led numerous protests for racial justice, particularly following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020.
Jamael Lydell Lundy is an intergovernmental affairs manager in the Hennepin County Attorney’s office and is married to St. Paul City Council member Anika Bowie. He is also a candidate for state senate.
Prominent civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong and two other individuals involved in the protest had already been arrested last week.
Jordan Kushner, attorney for Levy Armstrong, said these new prosecutions “are beyond the pale.”
“Nonviolent protest is not a federal felony,” he stated.
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Credit: Associated Press
