Journalists Arrested: Don Lemon and Georgia Fort Targeted for Covering ICE Protests

Event Summary

On January 29, 2026, federal authorities arrested Don Lemon, former CNN anchor and independent journalist, in Los Angeles while he was covering the Grammy awards. The arrest followed a federal magistrate judge's rejection of charges against Lemon on January 22, 2026—demonstrating a deliberate escalation using grand jury processes after initial judicial refusal.

Georgia Fort, an award-winning independent journalist, was also named in early court filings and remains under threat for the same coverage.

Both journalists were covering the January 18, 2026 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where activists entered a church service to protest a pastor who also serves as ICE St. Paul Field Office acting director David Easterwood.

The Church Protest Context

Cities Church Protest (January 18, 2026):

• Protesters entered church chanting "ICE out" and "Justice for Renee Good"
• Target: Pastor David Easterwood, alleged ICE field office director
• Context: Protest held 11 days after ICE agent Jonathan Ross killed Renee Good (37-year-old mother of three)
• No injuries, no property damage occurred

Administration Response:

• Attorney General Pam Bondi labeled it "the St. Paul church riot"
• FBI Director Kash Patel and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem promised "swift action"
• DOJ opened civil rights investigation against protesters (not the ICE killing)
• Three activists arrested: Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, William Kelly

Escalation Against Press

Initial Judicial Refusal (January 22, 2026):

• Federal Magistrate Judge Doug Micko rejected DOJ's proposed criminal complaint against Lemon
• Judge found no probable cause for journalist covering event
• Sources reported AG Bondi was "enraged" at the decision
• Georgia Fort also listed in early filings but not initially charged

Grand jury Empanelment and Arrest (January 29, 2026):

• Grand jury empaneled January 29, 2026
• Lemon arrested in Los Angeles that evening
• FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) involved
• Arrest occurred while Lemon was covering Grammy awards

Charges and Legal Context

Potential Charges:

• Conspiracy to deny rights (civil rights charges)
• Alleged interference with religious worship under federal statutes
• Exact charges not immediately disclosed at time of arrest

Attorney Response:

• Abbe Lowell (Lemon's attorney): "This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court."
• Leita Walker (Fort's attorney): "Like Don Lemon, Georgia is an award-winning journalist who attended the demonstration solely in that capacity. The government's actions are deeply troubling."

Broader Pattern of Press Targeting

January 30, 2026 - Multiple Journalist Arrests Globally:

United States:

• Don Lemon (former CNN anchor) - arrested covering ICE protest
• Georgia Fort (independent journalist) - named in filings, under threat
• Pattern: Journalists covering ICE operations and protests being targeted

Iran:

• 3 journalists arrested under nationwide internet blackout
• Hassan Abbasi (recovering from kidney surgery), Artin Ghazanfari, Hamed Araghi
• Death toll estimates: 3,000 to 30,000 during protests

Turkey:

• Halk TV chief editor Suat Toktaş arrested
• 6 pro-Kurdish journalists arrested January 17-20
• Multiple opposition politicians and lawyers detained

AP Reporters (United States):

• Federal officers physically pushed journalists back to cars while documenting ICE operations in Minneapolis (January 28, 2026)

Individual Cases

Don Lemon:

• Age: 59
• Former CNN anchor (fired 2023)
• Independent journalist with YouTube channel
• Maintained he was present as journalist, not protester
• Quote: "Once the protest started in the church we did an act of journalism which was report on it and talk to the people involved, including the pastor, members of the church and members of the organization. That's it. That's called journalism."

Georgia Fort:

• Independent journalist
• Award-winning reporter
• Covered same church protest as journalist
• Named in early court filings alongside Lemon
• Status: Under threat, not yet arrested as of January 30

Timeline of Escalation

January 7, 2026: ICE agent Jonathan Ross kills Renee Good in Minneapolis

January 18, 2026: Protest at Cities Church, St. Paul; Lemon and Fort present as journalists

January 19, 2026: DOJ opens civil rights investigation into protesters (not Good's killing)

January 22, 2026:

• Magistrate Judge Micko rejects charges against Lemon
• Three activists arrested (Armstrong, Allen, Kelly)
• Sources: AG Bondi "enraged" at judicial refusal

January 27, 2026: Iranian journalists arrested under internet blackout

January 28, 2026:

• Turkish Halk TV editor Suat Toktaş arrested
• AP reporters pushed by federal officers in Minneapolis

January 29, 2026:

• Grand jury empaneled for Lemon case
• Lemon arrested in Los Angeles

January 30, 2026: News breaks of Lemon arrest; Georgia Fort confirms she was also named in filings

Significance

This represents an unprecedented escalation in the targeting of journalists covering state violence in the United States. The use of grand jury processes after initial judicial refusal, the involvement of FBI and HSI in journalist arrests, and the explicit targeting of press covering immigration enforcement protests signals a fundamental shift in press freedom protections.

The pattern is global and coordinated: Iran, Turkey, and the United States all arrested journalists on January 27-30, 2026, demonstrating how authoritarian mechanisms spread across borders.

Source Citations

1. CBS News: Former CNN anchor Don Lemon taken into custody - Grand jury empanelment and arrest details

2. NBC News: Don Lemon arrested by federal authorities - Attorney Abbe Lowell statement

3. AP/Local 10: Anti-ICE protest at Minnesota church leads to arrests - Full protest context and judicial refusal

4. USA TODAY/Courier-Journal: Don Lemon not charged - Georgia Fort involvement, attorney statements

5. Committee to Protect Journalists: Iran arrests - Parallel journalist arrests in Iran

6. Bianet: Turkey journalist arrests - Turkish crackdown context

7. AP Video: Federal officers push journalists - Physical obstruction of press