Don Lemon is ARRESTED by federal agents in Los Angeles while covering the Grammys over Minnesota church stunt
Don Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles on Friday morning after joining pro-immigration protesters who stormed a church in Minnesota, the Daily Mail has revealed.
The former CNN host, 59, was taken into federal custody over the incident, which was filmed for her show at Cities Church in St. Paul on January 18.
He was indicted by a grand jury in Minnesota and charged with conspiracy to commit disenfranchisement and violating the FACE law, which prohibits interfering with someone’s right to worship.
Lemon was seen handcuffed on either side of him by FBI and Homeland Security agents and “didn’t look too happy,” a source told the Daily Mail.
A person familiar with the investigation said prosecutors thought Lemon’s arrest would likely enjoy the publicity, making it “definitely a disadvantage” in pursuing charges against him.
The source said, ‘He will write a book and act like a martyr.’ ‘But I also think that if you do nothing you’re sending a message that people can disrupt church services, and I think they need to cut that nonsense and enforce the law.’
Before her arrest Thursday night, Lemon attended the Grammy Recording Academy Honors show in Los Angeles, where she was photographed with rapper Busta Rhymes.
The incident that led to Lemon’s arrest came to light earlier this month, when protesters opposed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filmed themselves targeting the church because one of its pastors, David Eastwood, also ran the local ICE field office.
Protesters screaming and harassing worshipers sparked outrage across the country.
Don Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles on Friday morning after joining pro-immigration protesters who stormed a church in Minnesota earlier this month.
Before her arrest Thursday night, Lemon attended the Grammy Recording Academy Honors ceremony in Los Angeles, where she was photographed with rapper Busta Rhymes.
In a statement made after Lemon’s arrest, Lemon’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, argued that the raid on the church in Minnesota was ‘constitutionally protected’.
“Don was a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than the one he always did,” the statement said.
‘The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose job it is to shine a light on the truth and hold those in power accountable. There’s no more important time for people like Don to do this work.’
Footage of the attack on the church showed Lemon arguing with a church priest who described his antics as ‘shameless’.
Lemon insisted that his behavior was covered by the First Amendment as he glared at the priest: ‘There is a Constitution and the First Amendment, there is freedom of speech and freedom of assembly and protest.’
In a statement Friday, Lemon’s attorney harshly criticized federal investigators who charged him “instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters.”
“The Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this arrest, and that is the real charge in this case,” the statement said.
‘This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract from the many crises facing this administration will not survive.’
Lowell concluded his statement by stating that Lemon “will vigorously and thoroughly fight these charges in court.”
In the footage of the incident, Lemon is seen arguing with the church priest over the raid on the Sunday service and telling the priest: ‘There is a Constitution and the First Amendment, there is freedom of speech and freedom of assembly and protest.’
Lemon joined protesters at the church earlier this month, where he interviewed organizer Nekima Levy Armstrong (pictured), who was later arrested for her role in the incident.
Last week, Lemon was among eight people the Trump administration sought to indict in connection with the attack on the church, but a magistrate judge dismissed the charges against Lemon and approved evidence against only three people.
On Friday morning, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on channel X that Lemon had been charged along with protesters Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort and Jamael Lydell Lundy in connection with the ‘attack’ on the church.
Federal authorities have previously expressed their desire to charge Lemon under the FACE Act, which prohibits individuals or groups from interfering with religious services.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon also charged Lemon under the Ku Klux Klan Act, which makes it illegal to threaten, hurt or intimidate people to prevent them from exercising their civil rights.
The broadcaster lives in New York with her real estate agent husband Tim Malone (41), whom she married in 2024.
Lemon was fired from CNN in April 2023 after 17 years at the network.
Two months before his ouster, he sparked outrage by claiming women in their 40s were ‘past their prime’ while discussing Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s candidates.
Lemon has since set up a YouTube channel and brands himself as an ‘independent journalist’.
It was revealed that the anti-ICE mob Lemon joined chose to target the church because one of the church’s pastors, David Easterwood, also served as acting director of the St. Paul ICE field office.
Lemon seen with husband Tim Malone
St. David Easterwood, pastor (center left) at Cities Church in St. Paul and director of the ICE field office, is seen with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a news conference in October. Earlier this month, his church was the target of anti-ICE protests that Lemon attended
Easterwood was seen embracing Noem at a press conference in October
St. Easterwood, a pastor at Cities Church in St. Paul, appeared on stage with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in October and spoke of being “proud” to lead a crackdown on immigrants in the town.
While speaking with Lemon at the protest, protester Nekima Levy Armstrong, who was later arrested for her role in the incident, singled out Easterwood as the reason they chose to block Sunday service.
“This is not going to continue, they can’t act like the house of God while harboring someone who orders ICE agents to terrorize our communities,” Armstrong told Lemon.
