• Don Lemon arrested overnight by federal agents in Los Angeles while covering Grammy Awards
• Charged with conspiracy to deprive congregants' right to worship at Minnesota church protest
• Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered arrests "at my direction" of four defendants Friday morning

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (TDR) — Former CNN host Don Lemon struck a defiant tone after being released from custody Friday, vowing he "will not be silenced" despite federal charges stemming from his coverage of an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church earlier this month.

Overnight, federal agents arrested Lemon in Los Angeles after he covered a protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 18. During a service, demonstrators entered the church to protest one of its pastors, David Easterwood, who is reportedly acting director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in St. Paul.

Protests against ICE and federal immigration agents have reached a fever pitch after agents shot and killed two people in the city this month.

Don Lemon speaks outside of the courtroom after release: "I have spent my entire life covering the news. I will not stop now ... I will not be silenced." pic.twitter.com/zgXKXlDQwC

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 30, 2026

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The Department of Justice charged Lemon, who now hosts a YouTube show, with conspiracy to deprive the congregants of their right to worship. Lemon has pleaded not guilty through his attorney. Three others, including independent journalist Georgia Fort, were also arrested Friday morning. Fort livestreamed a masked agent at her door shortly before her arrest.

Released On Personal Recognizance Bond

A federal judge in Los Angeles released Lemon on a personal recognizance bond Friday afternoon, allowing him to leave custody without posting bail. His Los Angeles-area attorney, Marilyn Bednarski, indicated in court that he plans to plead not guilty to the charges.

A federal grand jury seated in Minnesota returned the indictment Thursday against Lemon and eight co-defendants, charging them with conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and injuring, intimidating, and interfering with the exercise of religious freedom.

On Friday evening outside the federal courthouse in Los Angeles, Lemon spoke to a crowd of supporters:

"I've spent my entire career covering the news. I will not stop now. In fact, there is no more important time than right now this very moment for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable."

"Again, I will not stop now. I will not stop ever. Last night, the DOJ sent a team of federal agents to arrest me in the middle of the night for something that I've been doing for the last 30 years, and that is covering the news."

"The First Amendment of the Constitution protects that work for me and for countless other journalists who do what I do. I stand with all of them, and I will not be silenced. I look forward to my day in court."

Attorney General Bondi Ordered Arrests 'At My Direction'

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrests Friday morning on social media, emphasizing her personal involvement in the decision.

"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 wrote on X.

The arrests came despite a federal magistrate judge previously rejecting a criminal complaint against Lemon. A source familiar with the matter described Bondi as "enraged" by the magistrate's decision to decline the initial charges.

Last week, a federal appellate court also declined to order a lower court judge to sign arrest warrants for five people, including Lemon, in connection with the January 18 protest. However, one of the three appellate judges said he felt there was probable cause to justify the arrests.

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The Justice Department subsequently empaneled a grand jury Thursday to secure the indictment, allowing them to proceed with arrests despite the earlier judicial rejections.

Indictment Alleges Physical Obstruction Of Congregants

The federal indictment alleges that the nine defendants "oppressed, threatened, and intimidated the Church's congregants and pastors" by occupying space in the main aisle and rows of chairs near the front of the church and engaged in "menacing and threatening behavior."

It further alleges that Lemon "physically obstructed" congregants as they tried to leave the church. The indictment includes multiple references to Lemon's video of the incident and alleges that the journalist told viewers "the whole point was to disrupt operations."

According to court documents, on January 17, one day before the incident, two of the defendants posted plans for the protest to social media but kept the location hidden. The following morning, several dozen people, including Lemon and his eight co-defendants, gathered in the parking lot of a grocery store, where some provided "instruction" on what to do once they arrived at the church.

Demonstrators were heard chanting "Justice for Renee Good" and "ICE out" inside the church during the disruption.

Defense Attorney Calls Arrest 'Unprecedented Attack On First Amendment'

Lemon's main defense attorney, Abbe Lowell, issued a scathing statement condemning the arrest as politically motivated retaliation against 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. "The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable."

"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 stated.

"This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court."

Lowell noted that federal agents arrested Lemon while he was in Los Angeles covering the lead-up to Sunday's Grammy Awards. Federal sources told media outlets that Lemon was arrested at a Beverly Hills hotel.

Three Co-Defendants Also Arrested Friday Morning

Along with Lemon, federal agents arrested three other defendants Friday morning:

Georgia Fort, an Emmy-winning news producer and vice president of the Minneapolis chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, posted a video on Facebook early Friday showing masked agents at her door. She said her attorney advised her to go with them. Fort has won regional journalism awards and served as an officer of the Minnesota NABJ chapter.

Trahern Jeen Crews, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota and a former Democratic candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Jamael Lydell Lundy, a small business owner and current Democratic candidate for the Minnesota Senate.

All three pleaded not guilty at a hearing Friday in Minnesota federal court and were released on personal recognizance bonds.

Earlier Arrests Of Three Protest Participants

Three protesters who disrupted the church service had previously been arrested: Nekima Levy Armstrong, former president of the Twin Cities NAACP chapter; Chauntyll Louisa Allen, an elected member of the St. Paul School Board; and William Kelly.

The Trump administration attempted to keep them and three other protesters—a total of six of Lemon's co-defendants—detained until trial. However, federal magistrate judges in Minnesota rejected the government's request for a detention hearing.

Los Angeles Mayor Condemns Arrest As Escalation

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who announced Lemon's release outside the courthouse, condemned his arrest in a strongly worded statement.

"Don Lemon, an internationally known and renowned journalist and friend, was arrested last night by federal agents and is now in custody in Los Angeles - simply for doing his job and following a protest into a church in Minneapolis while reporting the story," Bass wrote.

"Emmy-winning news producer and Minnesota-based journalist Georgia Fort - another widely respected Black journalist - was also arrested by federal agents in Minnesota for reporting on the same protest."

"The arrest of journalists for going into a church in the course of reporting is shocking enough, but what's even more alarming is that it's no secret that Don Lemon is a Trump critic."

Bass emphasized that President Trump is "escalating" rather than de-escalating tensions following the fatal shootings.

"Let me be very clear - President Trump is not deescalating anything after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents. In fact, the arrest of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort demonstrates quite the opposite - he is escalating."

White House Mocks Arrest With 'When Life Gives You Lemons' Post

The official White House X account posted an image Friday morning touting Lemon's arrest, with the caption "When life gives you lemons..." and an emoji of chains.

The mocking social media post drew criticism from press freedom advocates and drew attention to the administration's adversarial stance toward critical journalists.

CNN Raises 'Profoundly Concerning Questions' About Press Freedom

CNN, where Lemon worked for 17 years before leaving in 2023, issued a statement expressing concern about the arrest's implications for journalism.

"The First Amendment in the United States protects journalists who bear witness to news and events as they unfold, ensuring they can report freely in the public interest, and the DOJ's attempts to violate those rights is unacceptable," CNN stated.

The network added that Lemon's arrest "raises profoundly concerning questions about press freedom and the First Amendment."

Lemon left CNN in 2023 after being ousted by former network head Chris Licht, amid criticism that he made sexist comments about women and aging. He now hosts "The Don Lemon Show" on YouTube and Substack.

Protest Context: Two Minnesotans Killed By Federal Agents

The church protest occurred amid intense scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, where agents have killed two U.S. citizens this month.

Renee Good, a mother of three, was fatally shot by an ICE officer earlier in January. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse, was killed in a shooting involving Border Patrol agents on January 24.

The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into Pretti's killing but has not said whether it will open a similar probe into Good's death—a disparity Lemon's attorney highlighted in his criticism of the DOJ's priorities.

The protest came amid an immigration crackdown in which the federal government has sent 3,000 federal immigration agents to the Twin Cities over the last two months and arrested more than 3,000 undocumented immigrants, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Federal Prosecutors Had Concerns About Evidence Strength

Federal prosecutors in the Minneapolis-based U.S. Attorney's Office had significant concerns with the strength of the evidence in the church protests case, a source familiar with the matter told CBS News.

When the first three defendants were initially charged, no career officials from that office appeared in court, and the Justice Department sent prosecutors from Washington instead—an unusual move suggesting disagreement within the department about pursuing the charges.

The decision to empanel a grand jury and secure an indictment after a magistrate judge rejected the initial complaint suggests the Trump administration was determined to prosecute despite judicial skepticism and internal prosecutorial concerns.

As Don Lemon and his co-defendants prepare to fight federal charges they say violate First Amendment protections, will the prosecution of journalists covering protests have a chilling effect on press freedom in America?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from NBC News' coverage of Lemon's arrest and release, ABC News' reporting on the charges, CBS News' coverage of the court appearance, NPR's reporting on the arrests, NBC Los Angeles' reporting on Lemon's statements, ABC7 Los Angeles' coverage of the federal charges, The Hill's reporting on the Justice Department investigation, and PBS NewsHour's coverage of the church protest.

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