Former CNN anchor and now independent journalist Don Lemon forcefully defended his career in journalism on Jan. 30 after being released from federal custody a day following his arrest for reporting on an anti-ICE protest in a Minnesota church, vowing that the incident would not silence his work.
A U.S. district judge ordered Lemon released on his own recognizance, with no monetary bond required, according to The Hill. Lemon faces accusations stemming from a protest at a Minnesota church, where authorities claim worshippers’ constitutional rights were disrupted.
Speaking outside a downtown Los Angeles courthouse, Lemon thanked supporters and framed the arrest as a direct challenge to press freedom. “I will not stop now. I will not stop ever,” Lemon said. “In fact, there is no more important time but right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on truth and holds those in power accountable.”
Lemon argued that federal authorities targeted him for doing his job. He said the Department of Justice sent officers to arrest him “for something I’ve been doing for the last 30 years, and that is covering the news.” He added that the First Amendment “protects that work for me and for countless other journalists who do what I do,” insisting, “I will not be silenced. I look forward to my day in court.”
During Lemon’s court appearance, U.S. Attorney Alexander Robbins accused him of participating in what he described as a “mob that terrorized people in a place of worship.” As part of his release conditions, Lemon is barred from contacting witnesses or alleged victims and must seek court approval to travel outside the United States.
The charges are tied to a protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, where demonstrators believed the pastor was connected to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minnesota. The Trump administration has sought charges against Lemon and seven others related to the incident. Attorney General Pam Bondi described the event as “a coordinated attack on Cities Church,” though no sealed federal indictment has yet been made public.
Lemon, who was dismissed from CNN in 2023 after years as a prime-time host, now runs “The Don Lemon Show” independently on YouTube and Substack.
His arrest drew swift reactions from prominent figures. Former Vice President Kamala Harris called it “another affront to our rights and freedoms.” Sen. Bernie Sanders wrote that “arresting journalists is what happens in tin-pot dictatorships,” adding, “We must fight back against authoritarianism.”
Lemon was not alone. Minnesota journalist Georgia Fort was also released Jan 30. Trahern Jeen Crews, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, who works for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, were also taken into custody and released.
“To all the media that made a statement on behalf of me, thank you so much,” Fort said shortly after her release. She added, “Documenting what is happening in our community is not a crime.”
“I should be protected under the First Amendment…do we have a constitution, that is the pressing question.”
The Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists echoed that sentiment, showing its support of Fort and Lemon by stating that journalists have “the responsibility to observe and report events in the public interest,” regardless of where a protest occurs.
The organization continued to condemn the arrests, stating, “It is not illegal to document a protest against the federal government. The fact that the protest took place in a church does not negate journalists’ First Amendment rights to report.”
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