Former CNN anchor Don Lemon arrested after protest inside Minneapolis church

Journalist father lemon tree was arrested in connectedness with an anti-immigration resist that disrupted a serve at a Minnesota church, his lawyer said Friday.

Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles, where he had been covering the Grammy Awards, attorney Abbe Lowell said.

Lemon's arrest came after a magistrate judge last week rejected prosecutors' initial bid to charge the journalist.

Lemon was among four people arrested Friday morning, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post.

It is unclear what charge or charges Lemon is facing in the Jan. 18 protest, which occurred between two fatal shootings committed by agents of the federal government in Minneapolis, as part of the operation by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to arrest individuals not authorized to live in the country.

The two persons killed were U.S. Citizens and bystanders, while a third person was shot in the leg in a separate incident.

Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023 after 17 years at the network, has said he has no affiliation to the organization that went into the church and that he was there as a journalist chronicling protesters.

"Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done," Lowell said in a statement. "The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable."

Lowell added that "Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court."

A prominent civil rights attorney and two other people involved in the protest were arrested before Lemon last week after disrupting a service at the Cities Church in St. Paul, where a local official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement serves as a pastor.

The U.S. Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation after the group interrupted services by chanting "ICE out" and "Justice for Renee Good," referring to the 37-year-old mother of three who was fatally shot on Jan. 7 by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.

"Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP," Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in social media post last week.

Civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen and William Kelly were each charged with conspiracy against rights for allegedly intimidating and harassing parishioners, according to a criminal complaint.

The White House drew criticism for altering a photo of the civil rights of Armstrong in a social media post that trumpeted her arrest.

Cities Church belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention and lists one of its pastors as David Easterwood, who leads an ICE field office.

The U.S. Has a long history of protests inside places of worship, but religious congregations have tightened security protocols in recent years as deadly attacks on houses of worship and safety concerns have intensified. Two children were killed at a church shooting in Minneapolis last August.

The Justice Department's swift investigation into the church disruption stands in contrast to its decision not to open a civil rights investigation into Good's killing by an ICE officer. The department has not said whether it will open a civil rights probe into the Jan. 24 killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal officers.

"Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this arrest, and that is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case," Lowell said.

The federal government's Operation Metro Surge has led to protests elsewhere in the U.S. In addition to Minnesota, and the funding of the Department of Homeland Security has been a flashpoint in discussions to avoid a partial government shutdown beginning this weekend.

Trump, dating back to his first presidential campaign in 2016, has lashed out at Lemon on social media in response to news coverage, referring to him as the "dumbest man on television."

Several people who Trump has felt antagonized by, mainly politicians and officials, have faced indictment or the threat of prosecution so far in his second, non-consecutive presidential term.

Democrats in Congress have accused the Justice Department of casting aside previous guardrails of independence to do the bidding of Trump, who promised "retribution" in his 2024 presidential campaign.

The high-powered Lowell, who in the past served as attorney for the president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, is currently representing New York State Attorney General Letitia James, Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook and ex-Homeland Security staffer Miles Taylor. Each has been the target of a Justice Department probe.

The Trump administration has been criticized for prejudging the fatal shootings, and days after the Good shooting, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said it did not meet the requirements for a civil rights investigation

The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is now heading the investigation into the shooting death of Pretti. The department said earlier this week that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a unit within the department, would be heading the investigation.

Border czar plans 'draw down' of ICE in Minneapolis, but many skeptical

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during an interview with Fox News on Thursday that the FBI was in the lead. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the department, said Friday in an email that HSI will support them.

Separately, Customs and Border Protection is doing its own internal investigation.

Homeland Security did not immediately respond to questions about when the change was made or why.

Trump earlier this week dispatched his border czar, Tom Homan, to Minneapolis, with controversial Customs and Border Patrol official Greg Bovino leaving the state after having made a number of incendiary comments.

Homan said Thursday he wanted ICE and CBP agents to focus on strategic operations targeting criminal offenders. Agents have been accused of randomly stopping people on the street to demand documented proof of legal U.S. Residence or citizenship and engaging with protesters.

Homan made mention of a potential drawdown of the size of the administration's contingent in Minnesota, but there were no specific announcements on that front.

When asked by a reporter Thursday night if the administration was "pulling back" in Minnesota, Trump responded: "No, no. Not at all."

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