Former CNN television host Don Lemon has entered a plea of not guilty to federal charges connected to his journalistic coverage of a demonstration at a Minnesota church last month. The charges stem from his involvement during protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.
Lemon, 59, faces allegations of conspiracy to deprive rights and interference with religious freedoms, specifically through the alleged use of force to obstruct an individual’s First Amendment protections. His arrest occurred on January 18 after he accompanied protesters into the Cities Church in St. Paul, where demonstrators claimed one pastor was an immigration enforcement official.
While covering the event, Lemon livestreamed the incident which subsequently led to criminal charges against eight additional individuals. During his court appearance on Friday in St. Paul, Lemon remained silent as he entered the courtroom amidst approximately two dozen supporters chanting demands for the removal of Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Four co-defendants present with Lemon similarly pleaded not guilty. The journalist has maintained that his presence at the church was strictly professional, stating: ‘I have spent my entire career covering the news. I will not stop now.’
Legal representatives for Lemon, including attorney Abbe Lowell, raised concerns during the hearing regarding investigators seizing Lemon’s mobile phone upon his arrest in Los Angeles late last month. All defendants, including Lemon and another journalist, face charges of conspiracy against religious freedom at a place of worship, plus allegations of injuring, intimidating and interfering with religious freedom rights.
The January protest involved demonstrators disrupting a church service with chants of ‘ICE out’ and ‘Justice for Renee Good’—a mother of three fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis. Lemon asserts he was present solely in a journalistic capacity without affiliation to the protesters.
Footage from the incident reveals chaotic confrontations between protesters and congregation members at the Southern Baptist Convention-affiliated church. The situation escalated when federal agents killed a second protester, intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, during subsequent Minneapolis demonstrations two weeks later. Both fatalities occurred during protests against Trump administration immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, which have since concluded.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt commented on social media following Lemon’s arrest, stating that ‘Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship.’
Lemon, a known critic of former President Trump, was terminated from CNN in April 2023 after 17 years, following controversial on-air remarks about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s age.