Former CNN host Don Lemon is no longer just offering commentary from the sidelines. He’s now part of the story.
Lemon was arrested in connection with a disruptive anti-ICE protest that shut down a church service in Minnesota, multiple sources told ABC News. The incident took place Jan. 18, when activists stormed into Cities Church in St. Paul during a service, accusing one of the pastors of serving as the acting field director for ICE’s St. Paul office.
According to Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, federal agents took Lemon into custody Thursday night while he was in Los Angeles covering the Grammy Awards. The arrest capped off a protest that authorities say crossed the line from political speech into criminal disruption. As of Jan. 22, at least three individuals had been arrested in connection with the incident.
The protest quickly drew attention from the Justice Department. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a pointed warning on social media the night of the disruption, making it clear the administration would not tolerate what she described as lawlessness. “If state leaders refuse to act responsibly to prevent lawlessness, this Department of Justice will remain mobilized to prosecute federal crimes and ensure that the rule of law prevails,” Bondi wrote.
Behind the scenes, Bondi was reportedly far from satisfied with how the case initially unfolded. A source told ABC News that she was “enraged” last week after a magistrate judge declined to bring charges against Lemon, fueling concerns within the administration that high-profile activists were being given special treatment.
The episode marks a striking turn for Lemon, who has reinvented himself as a progressive activist since leaving CNN. Critics say the arrest underscores a growing pattern of media figures crossing the line from covering protests to participating in them, then acting shocked when consequences follow.
For the administration, the message appears to be simple: protests that disrupt religious services and target federal officials won’t be brushed off, no matter how famous the people involved might be.
