Former CNN anchor and journalist Don Lemon was released from custody after being arrested in connection with an anti-ICE protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Federal authorities charged him and several others with alleged federal civil rights violations tied to a protest that disrupted a worship service at Cities Church, where a pastor affiliated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was present. Prosecutors allege actions including conspiracy to interfere with religious freedom and intimidation at a place of worship, claims Lemon denies and plans to fight in court. 

Lemon, who has been working as an independent journalist since leaving CNN, was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy Awards. He was taken into custody weeks after the January 18 protest, during which demonstrators entered the church in opposition to immigration enforcement policies. Federal officials have pursued charges under statutes including the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which also covers interference with access to houses of worship. 

A judge released Lemon without bail on his own recognizance, and he is due back in court as the legal process unfolds. In remarks after his release, Lemon declared he “will not be silenced” and said he was present at the event strictly in his capacity as a reporter, not a protest participant. His attorney has called the arrest an “attack on the First Amendment,” while many press freedom advocates and political figures have condemned the charges as overreach. 

The case has drawn sharp criticism and sparked debate about the boundaries between journalism and protest coverage, the use of federal law to pursue reporters, and the broader implications for press freedom in politically charged environments. Lemon’s next court date and the progress of the charges will be closely watched given the constitutional questions at stake.