In a move that has sent shockwaves through the media industry and reignited a fierce debate over press freedom, federal agents arrested veteran journalist and former CNN anchor Don Lemon on Thursday night.
The arrest took place in Los Angeles, where Lemon had traveled to cover the upcoming Grammy Awards. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, confirmed the custody status late Thursday, marking a significant escalation in the federal government’s response to recent civil unrest in the Midwest.
Origins in the Twin Cities
The federal intervention follows Lemon’s presence at a high-profile anti-immigration protest two weeks ago in St. Paul, Minnesota. The demonstration targeted a service at Cities Church after activists discovered that one of the church’s pastors also held a position as an official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
While the protest resulted in the disruption of the religious service, Lemon has maintained that his presence was strictly in a professional capacity as an independent journalist.
Sources familiar with the matter indicate that a federal grand jury was empaneled on Thursday. The operation to take Lemon into custody reportedly involved both the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). According to reports from CBS, the specific charges Lemon faces remains officially under seal.
A Defense of the First Amendment
Abbe Lowell, representing Lemon, issued a scathing critique of the Justice Department, framing the arrest as a direct assault on the freedom of the press.
“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 formal statement. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable. There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work.”
Lowell further alleged that the arrest is a strategic diversion by the Trump administration to pivot away from the scrutiny surrounding the recent deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti—two protesters killed during federal enforcement actions in Minnesota earlier this month.
“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 the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case,” Lowell asserted.
Legal Maneuvering and Probable Cause
The arrest follows a complex week in the federal court system. Court filings reveal that a federal appellate court recently declined to compel a lower court judge to approve arrest warrants for five individuals linked to the St. Paul protest, a list that included Lemon. However, the legal victory for the protesters was narrow; at least one appellate judge noted in a dissenting or concurring opinion that there was sufficient probable cause to justify the warrants.
Lemon has been operating as an independent journalist since his departure from CNN in 2023. Before traveling to the Twin Cities, he addressed his motivations for covering the ongoing demonstrations.
“I believe in the Constitution and I believe, especially, in the First Amendment and that all journalists should be here if they have the opportunity,” Lemon stated at the time.
As the legal battle moves to the courtroom, the case is expected to test the boundaries of journalistic immunity and the right of the press to document civil disobedience in an increasingly polarized landscape.
