February 3, 2026 / 2:56 AM EST / CBS/AP
Don Lemon says roughly a dozen federal agents arrived at his Los Angeles hotel last week to take him into custody even though his lawyer had told authorities he intended to surrender in connection with federal civil rights charges tied to his coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest at a Minnesota church.
Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show, Lemon called the deployment of agents unnecessary and a misuse of resources because he had been prepared to turn himself in. He said officers jostled him as he approached the elevator, then handcuffed him after identifying themselves. When he asked to see a warrant, he said agents told him they did not have one; an FBI agent outside the room was then brought in and displayed a warrant on a cellphone, according to Lemon.
The Department of Justice and the FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Kimmel introduced Lemon as someone “arrested for committing journalism.” Lemon’s attorney has said his client plans to plead not guilty. After his release under a judge’s orders, Lemon told reporters, “I will not be silenced.”
A federal grand jury in Minnesota indicted Lemon, independent journalist Georgia Fort and others on charges alleging conspiracy and interference with the First Amendment rights of worshippers during the Jan. 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul. The indictment centers on a demonstration that disrupted a service at a church where a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official serves as pastor.
Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023, has said he had no affiliation with the group that entered the church and that he went there to report, document and record events, following and reporting on one of the groups present.
Abbe Lowell, Lemon’s attorney, called the case “an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and [a] transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration,” and said Lemon will vigorously contest the charges in court.
Lemon also described conditions after his arrest. He said he asked officers if he could make a phone call but was told he could only speak to his lawyer the next day. He tried using Siri on his Apple Watch to call his husband and his attorney, but neither answered. A diamond bracelet on his wrist became caught in the handcuffs; agents removed it and agreed to take it to his husband in the hotel room, which is how his husband learned Lemon’s location. Lemon said he remained in a federal courthouse holding cell from around midnight until about 1 p.m. the next day.
Kimmel has recently been part of broader debates over censorship after ABC briefly suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last year over remarks the host made following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a move that prompted criticism from some Democratic senators and preceded the show’s return with higher ratings.