Don Lemon Arrested by Federal Agents, Attorney Slams “Unprecedented Attack” on Press Freedom

Independent journalist and former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents on Thursday night in Los Angeles while covering the Grammy Awards. The arrest, confirmed by his attorney Abbe Lowell, marks a major escalation in the Department of Justice’s crackdown on the “Minneapolis Protests”.

Lemon faces federal charges related to his coverage of a January 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, where activists disrupted a service led by a pastor who also serves as an ICE official.

In a blistering statement, Lemon’s attorney Abbe Lowell characterized the arrest as political retaliation.

“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done… Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters [Renee Good and Alex Pretti], the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time to this arrest.”

Full statement from Lemon’s attorney Abbe Lowell:

“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done. The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on…

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 30, 2026

This arrest comes just days after a federal magistrate judge refused to sign an arrest warrant for Lemon, stating there was no probable cause that his reporting constituted a crime. Despite this judicial rebuke, the DOJ, which is led by Attorney General Pam Bondi and Civil Rights head Harmeet Dhillon were able to secure an indictment via a grand jury.