AT A GLANCE
- Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents after covering an anti-ICE protest at a St. Paul church, despite saying he offered to turn himself in.
- Prosecutors charged Lemon under the FACE Act, alleging he participated in disrupting a religious service—claims he strongly denies.
- Lemon says the arrest at a Los Angeles hotel was designed to embarrass and intimidate him as a journalist.
- Press freedom and civil rights groups have condemned the charges, warning they could chill journalists’ ability to cover protests.
Lemon Says on Jimmy Kimmel He Offered to Surrender Before Arrest
Independent journalist and former CNN anchor Don Lemon says federal authorities deliberately chose to arrest him publicly rather than allow him to surrender voluntarily, describing the move as an effort to embarrass and intimidate him for covering an anti-ICE protest in Minnesota.
Lemon made the remarks Monday night during his first post-arrest interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he defended his actions as straightforward journalism. Lemon said he attended the January protest at Cities Church in St. Paul to document events as they unfolded, not to participate in or lead the demonstration. “There is a difference between a protester and a journalist,” Lemon said, adding that his role was to chronicle and record what was happening.
The protest took place on January 18, when demonstrators interrupted a church service, alleging that one of the church’s pastors is a top Immigration and Customs Enforcement official in the Twin Cities. Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort were livestreaming during the disruption as tensions escalated between protesters and congregants.
Federal prosecutors later charged Lemon and Fort with conspiracy to violate constitutional rights and with violating the FACE Act, a federal law that prohibits force, threats, or intimidation intended to interfere with someone’s right to practice religion. Prosecutors have alleged the journalists participated in what they described as a “takeover-style attack” on the church and argued Lemon told his audience the goal was to make the experience traumatic for worshippers. Lemon has denied those claims, maintaining that his coverage was observational and protected by the First Amendment.
Lemon said he anticipated potential legal action after Trump administration officials publicly called for his arrest in the days following the protest. As a precaution, he hired an attorney, who reached out to federal authorities and offered to have Lemon turn himself in. According to Lemon, that offer was never acknowledged.
Instead, Lemon said he was arrested Friday by more than a dozen federal agents in the lobby of a Los Angeles hotel, where he was staying while covering events leading up to the Grammy Awards. He described being jostled near an elevator, handcuffed, and briefly denied access to a physical copy of a warrant, saying he was only shown an image of one on an agent’s phone after being escorted outside. “They want to embarrass you, they want to intimidate you, they want to instill fear,” Lemon told Kimmel, calling the arrest a “waste of resources” given his willingness to cooperate.
Lemon said he was held for more than 12 hours and was not allowed to make a phone call or contact his lawyer during that time. He added that he was unaware his arrest had become national news until a federal employee told him he had been on cable news nonstop.
After appearing in federal court, Lemon was released from custody without bail. Prosecutors had requested a $100,000 bond and argued that restrictions were necessary to prevent him from engaging in similar conduct while awaiting trial. Lemon’s defense attorneys agreed to conditions barring contact with witnesses, victims, or co-defendants and requiring approval for international travel. A judge approved Lemon’s planned trip to Europe in June.
First Amendment advocates and civil rights organizations have condemned the charges, arguing they represent an attempt to chill press freedom by criminalizing journalists who cover protests.
Trump administration officials have defended the arrests. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Fox News that those who entered the church violated the rights of worshippers and would be held accountable under the FACE Act. Donald Trump, when asked about Lemon’s case over the weekend, said he was unaware of it before criticizing Lemon and suggesting the arrest was “probably the best thing that could happen to him” because of the attention it generated.
Lemon’s decision to appear on Jimmy Kimmel’s show carried symbolic weight, given that the Trump administration previously targeted Kimmel, prompting ABC to briefly suspend the program last year before reinstating it amid backlash.
For Lemon, the case goes beyond his own legal battle. He framed the arrest as part of a broader effort to discourage aggressive reporting on immigration enforcement and protest movements. “This wasn’t about public safety,” Lemon said. “This was about sending a message.”
