Journalist arrested in the US after protesting against ICE.

247 - Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested in the United States for his involvement in a protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota. The arrest followed a demonstration earlier this month against the immigration policies of US President Donald Trump, according to confirmations from the journalist's lawyer and a US Department of Justice official. (Source: [Source Name]) Reuters.

Lemon streamed the protest live online and stated he was on-site to cover the event journalistically. The demonstration ended up interrupting a religious celebration, which prompted action from federal authorities.

According to a Justice Department official familiar with the case, Don Lemon was formally charged with conspiracy to deprive others of their civil rights and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act), a 1994 law that prohibits obstructing access to places of worship and abortion clinics. The arrest was carried out in Los Angeles by agents of the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations.

Lemon's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, reacted strongly to the detention, calling the measure an attack on constitutional freedoms. According to him, the arrest represents an "unprecedented attack on the First Amendment," referring to the guarantees of freedom of speech and of the press enshrined in the United States Constitution.

The case comes amid a series of actions by the Justice Department during the Trump administration against critics and perceived adversaries of the president. Previous attempts to prosecute figures such as former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James ultimately failed. Investigations have also been opened against Democratic lawmakers, a former CIA director, and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who resisted pressure from Trump to rapidly lower interest rates.

The relationship between the President of the United States and the press has been marked by frequent confrontations. Trump often attacks journalists and media outlets and, in some cases, resorts to legal action or the revocation of White House credentials. Earlier this month, FBI agents seized electronic equipment from the home of a reporter from... Washington Post which covered mass layoffs in the federal government, under the pretext of investigating leaks of classified information — a measure that generated criticism from press freedom advocacy groups.

In the incident that occurred in Minnesota, Lemon stated that he had been warned in advance about the protest, but said he did not know that the activists planned to disrupt the service. Footage from the broadcast shows the journalist arguing with a parishioner about the application of immigration laws. Trump administration officials quickly condemned the act and accused the protesters of intimidating Christian worshippers.

Three people directly involved in disrupting the religious service were arrested shortly after the protest and charged with violating the FACE Act. Initially, however, a magistrate judge refused to issue arrest warrants for Lemon and the video producer who accompanied him, citing a lack of "sufficient grounds" to characterize a crime.

In response, the Department of Justice took an unusual step by filing emergency appeals to Minnesota Chief Federal Judge Patrick Schiltz, and subsequently the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, to overturn the judge's decision. Schiltz reprimanded the prosecutors and stated that, in case of disagreement, the proper course of action would be to pursue a formal indictment through a grand jury.

In a decision recorded in the court records, Schiltz wrote that Lemon and the producer “were not protesters in any way” and added: “There is no evidence whatsoever that these two engaged in criminal behavior or conspired to do so.”

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Don Lemon worked for 17 years at CNN, where he became one of the network's most recognizable figures. He was fired in 2023 after making on-air comments about women and then-Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley that were widely considered sexist, an incident for which he later apologized.