Don Lemon was arrested on the night of Thursday, January 29, 2026, by federal agents in Los Angeles, California, in connection with a protest at a Minnesota church earlier in the month.

Quick Scoop: What Happened

  • Don Lemon, the former CNN anchor now working as an independent journalist, was taken into federal custody in Los Angeles while he was there to cover the upcoming Grammy Awards.
  • The arrest is tied to a January 18, 2026 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where anti-immigration-enforcement demonstrators disrupted a church service.
  • Authorities say the arrest relates to alleged violations of federal laws during that incident, though specific charges had not yet been fully detailed publicly at the time of early reports.

Key Timeline

  1. January 18, 2026 – Protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota; service is disrupted by anti-ICE/anti-immigration-enforcement demonstrators, and Lemon is present recording and reporting.
  1. Late night January 29, 2026 – Federal agents arrest Don Lemon in Los Angeles, where he is covering Grammy-related events.
  1. January 30, 2026 – News of the arrest becomes public; his attorney issues statements calling his actions constitutionally protected journalism and pledging to fight the case.

Different Viewpoints

  • Prosecutors and federal authorities: They frame the case as related to a “coordinated” action at the Minnesota church that allegedly crossed the line from protected activity into unlawful conduct.
  • Don Lemon and his legal team: His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, argues that Lemon was acting as a journalist—filming, interviewing, and reporting—and that his conduct is protected by the First Amendment.
  • Press freedom advocates: Early reactions from press freedom and civil liberties groups describe the arrest as alarming and potentially chilling for journalists covering protests and politically sensitive events.

At-a-Glance Fact Box

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ItemDetail
When was Don Lemon arrested?Night of January 29, 2026.
Where was he arrested?Los Angeles, California, while covering Grammy- related events.
Incident linked to arrestJanuary 18, 2026 protest that disrupted a church service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Status of chargesFederal charges connected to the church protest; specific counts were not fully detailed publicly in initial reports.
His positionHe maintains he was performing journalistic work protected by the First Amendment.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.