Former CNN Host Don Lemon Faces Charges Following Anti-ICE Protest

Sat Jan 31 2026 11:27:24 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Don Lemon, ex-CNN host, has been charged for his involvement in an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church, raising significant questions about press freedom and judicial overreach. Lemon claims he was just fulfilling his duties as a journalist.

Don Lemon has been charged with conspiracy to deprive rights and violation of the FACE Act following a protest at a church in Minnesota against immigration enforcement. Arrested while covering the event, Lemon argues he was exercising his rights as an independent journalist. The incident has prompted discussions about media freedom and government actions against reporters.

Former CNN host Don Lemon has appeared before a judge after being arrested for entering a Minnesota church and filming anti-immigration enforcement protesters as they disrupted a service.

After appearing in court, Lemon was released from custody. He told media outside that he was arrested for covering the news, adding: I will not be silenced. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said he was charged with conspiracy to deprive rights and violation of the FACE Act, by allegedly interfering in someone's First Amendment rights by force.

Lemon went into the Cities Church in St Paul on January 18 with protesters who stated that one of the pastors was an immigration enforcement official. He live-streamed the protest and stated: This is an operation that is secret. The protest was in response to the recent fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer.

According to his lawyer, Lemon will fight these charges vigorously in court, arguing that this represents an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment. The White House and the Department of Justice backed the arrests, framing them as necessary to uphold the law during a protest deemed a coordinated attack on the church.

The incident has ignited fresh debates surrounding press freedom in America, particularly within the context of aggressive actions taken against journalists under the current administration. Critics, including CNN itself, have raised concerns over the implications of this case on journalistic practices and the media's role in the democratic process.