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In a surprising turn of events, former CNN anchor Don Lemon was taken into custody in Los Angeles while covering the Grammy Awards. This information was confirmed by Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, through an official statement.
According to Associated Press, Lemon’s arrest is tied to his involvement in a protest against ICE on January 18 at Cities Church in St. Paul. This church is reportedly associated with David Easterwood, who is known to lead an ICE field office. Lemon maintains that his attendance at the protest was strictly in his capacity as a journalist. Lowell emphasized that Lemon’s actions in Minneapolis align with his usual journalistic endeavors, which are safeguarded by the constitution.
Lowell further elaborated in the statement, noting, “The First Amendment is designed to protect journalists who are tasked with uncovering the truth and holding those in authority accountable. Don’s work is crucial, especially now. Instead of addressing the actions of federal agents responsible for the deaths of two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is diverting its focus to this arrest, which highlights the true misconduct in this scenario.”
Lowell concluded by asserting, “This extraordinary assault on the First Amendment must not proceed. Don is committed to contesting these charges rigorously in court.”
Efforts to obtain comments from Lemon’s representatives by DECIDER were unsuccessful at the time of this article’s publication.
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that Lemon was arrested “at [her] direction,” on X, as were “Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy,” writing that their arrests were “in connection to the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.”
According to NBC News, the Justice Department said last week that they intended to pursue charges in relation to the protest, noting that Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon highlighted Lemon’s involvement during an interview with conservative commentator Benny Johnson. However, the Associated Press reported on Jan. 22 that a magistrate judge had rejected the case for charges to be made against Lemon.
Lemon was fired by CNN in 2023, but has continued his work as a journalist independently outside of the network.