Federal agents in Los Angeles have taken Louisiana native, journalist Don Lemon into custody. Feds say this is in connection with a January protest at a Minnesota church that Lemon was reporting from. The independent journalist was detained late Thursday night while in California to cover the upcoming Grammy Awards.
The arrest follows a January 18th, 2026 demonstration at Cities Church in St. Paul, where activists interrupted a service to protest federal immigration enforcement. While a Magistrate Judge initially rejected the government’s attempt to charge Lemon, federal authorities moved forward with the arrest.
Legal Challenges and First Amendment Protections
Attorney Abbe Lowell has issued a statement addressing the federal action, calling it as an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment. Those on Lemon’s team have consistently stated that Lemon and his crew were present strictly in a professional capacity, documenting the event for his independent news platform…which appears to be corroborated by Lemon’s videos of the coverage.
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