Don Lemon Pleads Not Guilty to ICE Protest Charges

By Melissa Roberto

2 minute 02/24/2026

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon speaks to the media outside the United States District Court after his arraignment in Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S., February 13, 2026. REUTERS/Go Nakamura

Sag Harbor’s own Don Lemon has pleaded not guilty to federal civil rights charges tied to a Jan. 18 protest at a Minnesota church, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official is a pastor. The former CNN anchor has insisted he was covering the protest strictly as a journalist.

After his arraignment, Lemon took to social media to share a video thanking his supporters.

“I wanted to thank all of my colleagues, the journalists around the world, Lemon nation, of course, my family and my friends. You have shown up for me in a very real way and so I feel all of it and I am grateful for it,” Lemon said to the camera. He continued, “And as you know, I’ve been doing this for a while. But for 30 years I’ve been a journalist and the power and protection of the First Amendment, I believe, has been the underpinning of my work.”

Lemon added that he will not let the Trump administration knock him down.

“I just want to tell you, I’m not gonna be intimidated, I’m not gonna back down, I’m going to fight these baseless charges and I’m not going to be silenced.”