Former CNN anchor and independent journalist Don Lemon was released from federal custody on Friday, after a dramatic overnight arrest by federal agents in Los Angeles. Speaking defiantly to reporters outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Courthouse, Lemon vowed that the charges against him would not deter his work.
“I have spent my entire career covering the news. I will not stop now,” Lemon declared. “In fact, there is no more important time than right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable.”
Lemon described the arrest as an attack on journalism itself. “Last night, the DOJ sent a team of federal agents to arrest me in the middle of the night, for something that I’ve been doing for the last 30 years — and that is covering the news,” he said. “The First Amendment of the Constitution protects that work for me and for countless other journalists … I will not be silenced.”
Don Lemon speaks outside of the courtroom after release: "I have spent my entire life covering the news. I will not stop now ... I will not be silenced." pic.twitter.com/zgXKXlDQwC
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 30, 2026
The arrest stemmed from Lemon's coverage of an anti-ICE protest on January 18, 2026, at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where demonstrators disrupted a service. Federal prosecutors charged him and others—including independent journalist Georgia Fort—with federal offenses, including conspiracy to deprive rights and violating the FACE Act by allegedly interfering with worshippers' First Amendment rights to practice religion.
Lemon, who was in Los Angeles covering the upcoming Grammy Awards, was taken into custody late Thursday in Beverly Hills. He spent the night in detention before appearing in federal court Friday afternoon, where he was released on his own recognizance without bond.
The case has sparked widespread debate over press freedoms, with critics viewing the charges as a First Amendment showdown under the current administration. Lemon's next court appearance is scheduled in Minneapolis.