Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has been arrested, Newsmax's James Rosen and a Justice Department official familiar with the matter confirmed Friday.
Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles, where he had been covering the Grammy Awards, his attorney Abbe Lowell said.
Lowell called the arrest an "unprecedented attack on the First Amendment."
"Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy awards," Lowell said 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 arrest came after a magistrate judge last week rejected prosecutors’ initial bid to charge the journalist.
Charges include conspiring to deprive rights and interfering with someone’s religious freedom in a house of worship.
Lemon on Jan. 18 livestreamed a demonstration that interrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, to protested President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in the area.
Lemon said he was at the demonstration as a journalist. He said he was tipped off ahead of time but did not know the activists would disrupt the service.
He can be seen arguing with a parishioner about immigration enforcement. Trump administration officials quickly condemned the demonstration and accused protesters of intimidating Christian worshippers.
Lemon was expected to have an initial court hearing later Friday.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.