The United States Department of Justice has confirmed the arrest of Don Lemon, a former anchor for CNN who currently operates as an independent journalist. The arrest is linked to an alleged organized disruption at a religious institution in St. Paul, Minnesota, amid ongoing demonstrations regarding federal immigration policies.
Okay News reports that the directive for the arrest came from Pam Bondi, the Attorney General under President Donald Trump’s administration. In a statement issued on Friday, Bondi alleged that Lemon, alongside three other individuals, participated in a “coordinated attack” targeting the Cities Church in St. Paul.
Legal counsel for the veteran broadcaster confirmed that law enforcement officials took Lemon into custody in Los Angeles overnight. The lawyer strongly disputed the characterization of events, asserting that Lemon’s presence at the scene was strictly in his capacity as a journalist covering the civil unrest.
The defense attorney emphasized that Lemon’s activities were consistent with standard journalistic practices and differed in no way from his career-long work of reporting on public events. The incident has sparked significant debate regarding press freedom and the boundaries of reporting during active protests against the government’s immigration crackdown.
