Last week, a federal magistrate judge in Minnesota refused to sign off on federal charges against disgraced former CNN host Don Lemon for his role in the anti-ICE demonstration that stormed St. Paul’s Cities Church in Minneapolis during Sunday services.
That decision left Lemon off the hook, at least on paper. At the same time, the Justice Department weighed other options and pursued cases against several of the activists who helped organize the disruption. We later learned that the magistrate’s wife works at Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office, which likely had something to do with his refusal. The non-decision infuriated people who watched the footage and wondered why the agitators faced charges while Lemon walked away untouched.
Today, that changed.
Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin reports that Lemon has been arrested.
BREAKING: Per multiple law enforcement sources, former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles this morning in connection to the storming of a church in Minnesota by anti-ICE agitators.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 30, 2026
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi warned that “no one is above the law” in connection with the church incident and made clear that Lemon’s involvement was very much on the table for federal prosecution.
Lemon’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, confirmed Lemon’s arrest.
“Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy awards,” Lowell revealed in a statement. “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 and hold those in power accountable. There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work.”
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Lowell continued, “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. 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.”
Left-wing activists stormed Cities Church because they believed the pastor was working with ICE, and they decided the proper response was to march into a worship service and hijack it for their cause. Lemon did not just cover that from the sidewalk. Lemon live-streamed from inside as agitators entered and disrupted the service. Lemon tried to rebrand his actions as some noble act of civic engagement, though he appeared to have advance knowledge of the disruptors’ plans.
He spoke about “sort-of surprise” plans on the way to the church, walked in ahead of the crowd, and then wrapped the whole stunt in soaring rhetoric about the First Amendment as parishioners watched their sanctuary become a stage for agitators.
Once on scene, Lemon told his team he would “go inside and give the rundown on what’s going on,” but he instructed his driver and cameraman to stay off church property. The audio strongly suggests he entered the sanctuary before the agitators, and the pastor’s voice is heard before protesters’ shouts interrupt the service. That is not a journalist catching up to the story.
Lemon insists he had “no affiliation to that organization” behind the protest and only learned where they were headed at the last minute.
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