UPDATED 1/30, 6:03 p.m. ET: Per TMZ, Lemon was released without bail at a court hearing on Friday. His husband, Tim Malone, was on hand. Lemon is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 9.
Lemon later spoke to press and a crowd of supporters.
See original story below:
Former CNN reporter Don Lemon has been taken into custody by federal agents over his coverage of an anti-ICE protest in a Minnesota church last week, according to his attorney.
As first reported by the Hollywood Reporter, Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said his client was apprehended by federal agents in Los Angeles on Thursday (Jan. 29) evening.
“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” said Lowell 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. There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work.”
The statement was also shared to Lemon’s Instagram.
Complex has reached out to Abbe Lowell for additional comment. Lowell’s statement appears to suggest the arrest was over his coverage of an anti-ICE protest at a church in St. Paul, where a church official was accused of working for ICE.
“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’s statement continued. “This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”
During a stream on YouTube earlier this month, Lemon reported on anti-ICE protests in the wake of the fatal shooting of Renee Good. The protestors eventually led Lemon to the Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where several organizers put pressure on the church due to the presence of David Easterwood, the acting field office director for ICE in St. Paul. Several popular right-wing accounts on social media accused Lemon of leading the protest and “storming” the church.
“I reported on a protest by a group that believed a pastor at the church was affiliated with ICE—that was the basis of the protest,” he wrote in a post shared on Instagram, noting that he has no direct ties to the organization behind the protest and was only there to do reporting.
Nicki Minaj was also involved in the backlash against Lemon for doing his job, hurling a homophobic slur his way in a series of tweets. Lemon criticized Minaj for her comments and called her “homophobic, bigoted, [and] ignorant.” She later claimed she “purposely” used a homophobic slur against the reporter to force media coverage. Several others involved in the protest have since been arrested.