Don Lemon, who previously worked as an anchor at CNN, has been taken into custody for his participation in a church protest, according to his legal representative and a Department of Justice source with knowledge of the case.
Earlier this month, Lemon broadcast live from a demonstration that disrupted religious services at a St. Paul, Minnesota church, opposing President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies in the region.
Authorities have charged Lemon with conspiracy to violate civil rights and breaking the FACE Act by allegedly blocking entry to a place of worship, a Justice Department source confirmed. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations personnel apprehended him in Los Angeles.
Abbe Lowell, representing Lemon, characterized the arrest as an “unprecedented attack on the First Amendment.”
Lemon maintains he attended the event in his capacity as a journalist. He claims he received advance notice but was unaware activists planned to interrupt the worship service. Video footage shows him debating immigration enforcement with a church member.
Trump administration representatives swiftly criticized the demonstration, accusing participants of harassing Christian congregants.
Federal authorities arrested three additional individuals, charging them under the FACE Act, a 1994 statute prohibiting obstruction of abortion facilities and religious institutions. However, a federal judge previously rejected authorization for Lemon’s arrest earlier this month, citing insufficient evidence.
The Justice Department has not yet responded to media inquiries.
Lemon’s career at CNN spanned 17 years, during which he became a prominent network figure.
