Don Lemon Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Charges
Don Lemon, the former CNN host, has entered a not guilty plea in response to federal civil rights charges linked to his livestreaming of an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest that interrupted a church service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. This incident reportedly took place on February 13, 2026.
Having transitioned to being a left-wing independent journalist after his departure from CNN, Lemon was arrested in late January and released without having to post bail. He arrived at the federal courthouse in St. Paul on Friday along with his attorney, Joe Thompson, but didn’t address the media.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has charged Lemon with conspiring to deprive individuals of their rights (18 USC 241) and breaching the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) (18 USC 248). Authorities assert that the protest violated the constitutional rights of church attendees to practice their religion freely during a Sunday service.
Lemon has maintained his innocence regarding both charges. His defense team argues that his actions stemmed from his role as a journalist, despite him being aware in advance that the protest could lead to chaos.
In certain clips from his “reporting,” Lemon referred to the protesters exercising their First Amendment right to free speech. However, at times he seemingly kept a low profile while anti-ICE demonstrators discussed their plans, citing the need to safeguard “classified” details.
Moreover, some viewers pointed out that Lemon frequently used collective pronouns like “we” and “us,” which implied that he was identifying with the crowd rather than positioning himself as an impartial journalist, contrary to his team’s assertions.
The protests in January were organized by individuals aiming to target the church over allegations against a pastor supposedly serving as an ICE agent. Alongside Lemon, several other individuals were also arrested, including journalist Georgia Fort, civil rights lawyer Nekima Levi Armstrong, and school board member Chauntil Louisa Allen.
Lemon was taken into custody in Los Angeles while covering the Grammy Awards shortly after the protests attracted media attention.
Prior to these developments, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon had cautioned Lemon on social media regarding an investigation by the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division into whether his actions infringed upon the FACE Act.
“A house of worship is not a venue for your protest! It’s protected by federal law from such behavior! The First Amendment doesn’t safeguard disruptive actions disguised as journalism,” Dhillon expressed.
Abby Lowell, another attorney for Lemon, issued a statement following his arrest, arguing that the prosecutors were infringing upon press freedom.
“Don has been a journalist for three decades, and his work in Minneapolis was no different from his previous endeavors,” he stated. “The First Amendment is designed to protect journalists in their pursuit of truth and holding power accountable.”
Lemon intends to defend himself vigorously against the charges in court.
