Journalist Don Lemon Arrested After Minnesota ICE Church Protest, Sparking Press Freedom Outcry

The arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort following an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church have intensified national concerns about press freedom, protest policing and the federal government’s expanding immigration enforcement tactics.

Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were taken into federal custody late Thursday and early Friday in connection with a protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul earlier this month, according to attorneys, public statements, and video posted online.

Lemon, a former CNN anchor turned independent journalist, was arrested Thursday night in Los Angeles, where he was covering events tied to this weekend’s Grammy Awards. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, confirmed the arrest and said federal officers took Lemon into custody. Sources with direct knowledge of the case said the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, were involved. A source familiar with the investigation said a grand jury was empaneled Thursday.

Fort, an independent journalist based in Minnesota, was arrested Friday morning. In a Facebook Live video posted shortly after her arrest, Fort said she was being detained for her role in covering the protest.

Federal authorities also arrested two other activists linked to the St. Paul church protest—Black Lives Matter Minnesota founder Trahern Jeen Crews and Jamael Lydell Lundy, Attorney General Pam Bondi said, framing their detentions as part of a broader federal response to what she described as a “coordinated attack” on the church.

Crews, known for his advocacy on racial justice and community organizing, and Lundy, whose role in the protest has drawn scrutiny from federal prosecutors, were taken into custody alongside Lemon and Fort. Their arrests underscore the wider legal crackdown on participants in the Jan. 18 demonstration that interrupted a worship service amid deep tensions over immigration enforcement in Minneapolis–Saint Paul.

“As a member of the press, I filmed the church protest a few weeks ago, and now I’m being arrested for that,” Fort said in the video. “It’s hard to understand how we have a Constitution, constitutional rights, when we can just be arrested for being a member of the press.”

Both arrests stem from a Jan. 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, where demonstrators entered the sanctuary during a service after learning that one of the church’s pastors allegedly works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Protesters said the action was intended to call attention to what they view as the growing entanglement of immigration enforcement with religious institutions.

It remains unclear what specific charges Lemon and Fort face related to the protest. A source briefed on the investigation previously said Lemon could face charges including conspiracy to deprive others of their civil rights and violations of the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act, based on allegations that protesters interfered with others’ First Amendment right to practice religion. Charging documents for Fort were not immediately available.

Lowell said Lemon was acting strictly in his capacity as a journalist.

“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. “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.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement shared on social media that Lemon was arrested alongside three others “in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.” In a separate statement earlier this week, the Justice Department said it intends to pursue civil rights charges related to the protest.

The arrests come amid a broader federal immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and surrounding areas, where enforcement actions have sparked sustained protests. Tensions escalated earlier this month after two protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were shot and killed by federal agents during an enforcement operation. Their deaths have drawn national scrutiny and calls for independent investigations.

When life gives you lemons… ⛓️ pic.twitter.com/wxry0fudOj

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 30, 2026

Lowell criticized the Justice Department for prioritizing arrests connected to the church protest rather than focusing on the killings.

“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,” Lowell said. “This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand.”

He said Lemon plans to fight the charges “vigorously and thoroughly” in court.

The protest has already led to additional arrests. Civil rights attorney and racial justice advocate Nekima Levy Armstrong was arrested last week in connection with the same church action. Speaking at a Thursday evening news conference before Lemon and Fort were detained, Levy Armstrong said she believes her arrest was “political retaliation.”

“This is not only an immigration fight,” Levy Armstrong said. “This is a fight for police accountability. This is a fight for racial justice. This is a fight for our constitutional rights, and we must not forget that.”

Legal proceedings tied to the protest have already faced setbacks. Last week, a federal appellate court declined to order a lower court judge to sign arrest warrants for five people, including Lemon, in connection with the Jan. 18 protest. While the court refused to intervene, one appellate judge said he believed there was probable cause to justify the arrests, according to court filings and sources familiar with the case.

Press freedom advocates say the arrests of Lemon and Fort raise serious concerns about the treatment of journalists covering protests, particularly those involving federal law enforcement. Both journalists have said they were documenting events, not organizing or directing the demonstration.

Lemon spent more than 15 years at CNN before being fired in 2023. In early 2024, he announced plans to launch “The Don Lemon Show” on X, but that partnership ended months later. He now hosts a show on YouTube and continues to report on politics, culture, and civil rights. Fort has built a following in Minnesota for her on-the-ground coverage of protests, policing, and racial justice issues.

Representatives for Lemon, Fort, and Levy Armstrong did not immediately return requests for additional comment on Friday.

As the cases move forward, civil liberties groups say they could become a defining test of how far federal authorities can go in prosecuting protest activity and whether journalists are afforded meaningful protection when reporting on dissent.

“What’s at stake here is not just one arrest or two,” Levy Armstrong said. “It’s whether constitutional rights mean anything when the state feels challenged.”