January 30, 2026 — Washington / Los Angeles / St. Paul — Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested by federal authorities in Los Angeles late Thursday in connection with a January protest that disrupted a worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. His arrest comes more than a week after three other individuals were already arrested and charged in the same case.
Federal prosecutors allege the January 18, 2026 protest crossed legal boundaries when demonstrators entered the church during Sunday services to protest the presence of a church leader who also serves as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official. Authorities argue the demonstration interfered with congregants’ federally protected right to religious worship.
Earlier Arrests and Charges
On January 22, federal authorities arrested three individuals accused of organizing and participating in the disruption. Those arrested earlier include civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, St. Paul School Board member Chauntyll Louisa Allen, and activist William Kelly.
According to court filings and public statements from the Justice Department, all three were charged under federal civil rights statutes, including provisions that prohibit conspiring to obstruct or interfere with individuals exercising their constitutional right to religious worship. Prosecutors argue the actions taken inside the church went beyond lawful protest and constituted criminal interference with a protected religious service.
Don Lemon’s Arrest
Lemon was arrested days later while in Los Angeles, where he was reportedly covering the Grammy Awards. Authorities allege his presence at the Minnesota protest was not merely observational, a claim his legal team strongly disputes.
Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said Lemon was acting solely in his capacity as a journalist and did not organize, lead, or participate in the protest. Lowell described the arrest as an unprecedented and dangerous expansion of criminal liability that threatens First Amendment protections for journalists.
As of Friday, federal prosecutors have not publicly detailed the specific charges against Lemon, though they have indicated the case arises from the same protest and legal theory applied to the earlier arrests.
Legal and Public Scrutiny
The staggered arrests have drawn national attention, particularly over the distinction between protest activity and protected journalistic conduct. Civil liberties advocates warn the case could set a precedent affecting reporters who document controversial demonstrations, while supporters of the prosecution argue that interrupting a worship service is not protected speech.
The case unfolds amid broader national debate over immigration enforcement, protest tactics, and the limits of civil disobedience. Court proceedings in Minnesota are expected to clarify the government’s theory of liability and whether Lemon’s role differs legally from those arrested earlier.
At the time of publication, all four cases remain pending, and additional court filings are expected in the coming days.
