BY MIRABEL ODETA
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has been arrested in connection with a protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, according to his attorney and a Justice Department official familiar with the matter.
The arrest stems from a demonstration earlier this month that Lemon livestreamed, during which activists interrupted a worship service to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the area. The incident quickly drew national attention after clips from the livestream circulated online, showing a tense confrontation inside the church as parishioners objected to the disruption.
According to a Justice Department official, Lemon has been charged with conspiring to deprive others of their civil rights and with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. Authorities allege that the protest obstructed access to a house of worship, placing it within the scope of the 1994 federal law, which is designed to prevent interference with religious services and abortion clinics. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested Lemon in Los Angeles, the official said.
Lemon’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, strongly criticized the arrest, calling it an “unprecedented attack on the First Amendment.” Lowell argued that Lemon was acting in his capacity as a journalist and was present to document events, not to organize or lead the protest.
Lemon has said he was tipped off ahead of time about the demonstration but did not expect activists to interrupt the church service. He maintained that his role was observational and journalistic, not participatory. However, video from the scene shows Lemon engaged in a heated exchange with a parishioner over immigration enforcement, a moment that has been cited by critics as evidence that he became more than a passive observer.
Trump administration officials swiftly condemned the protest, accusing demonstrators of intimidating Christian worshippers and disrespecting religious freedom. The incident has since become part of a broader political debate over immigration enforcement, protest tactics, and the limits of lawful demonstration inside religious spaces.
Federal agents also arrested three other individuals in connection with the protest and charged them with violating the FACE Act. Earlier this month, however, a U.S. judge declined to approve Lemon’s arrest, citing insufficient evidence at the time. Despite that initial decision, authorities later moved forward with the charges.The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Lemon spent 17 years at CNN, where he became one of the network’s most recognizable on-air personalities. His career at the network ended in 2023 after he made comments during a broadcast about women and then–Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley that were widely criticized as sexist. Lemon later issued an apology, but CNN ultimately terminated his contract.