Journalist Don Lemon Arrested by Federal Authorities After ICE Protest

Journalist Don Lemon was arrested for his involvement in an anti-immigration protest that disrupted a Sunday church service in Minnesota, his lawyer announced on Jan. 30.

Lemon, a Sag Harbor resident, was taken into custody by federal agents in Los Angeles, Calif., just 12 days after he allegedly joined demonstrators who disrupted a service at a church in St. Paul, Minn., sparking swift backlash. At the time of his arrest, Lemon was in Los Angeles preparing to cover the Grammy Awards, according to his attorney Abbe Lowell, the Associated Press reported.

Lemon, who became an independent journalist after being fired from CNN in 2023, had initially avoided prosecution when a magistrate judge rejected a Justice Department charge relating to the incident. Following the incident, Lemon said he was “committing journalism,” not participating in the demonstration and was present in a reporting capacity — a claim Lowell reiterated after the arrest. As of Friday morning, it was unclear what specific charge(s) Lemon was facing.

“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell said 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.”

Lowell added that the former television anchor “will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”

Ex-Hamptonite, current Manhasset resident and former Trump spokesman Anthony Scaramucci, who has become a vocal critic of the administration — which he was briefly part of as communications director in 2017 before being fired 10 days later — called Lemon’s arrest “Another step closer to dictatorship” in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Another step closer to dictatorship. https://t.co/X3DwHlDhzK

— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) January 30, 2026

Lemon’s arrest unfolded amid growing outrage over immigration enforcement and the recent fatal ICE-related shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, prompting a number of Hamptons residents to use their platforms to speak out.