LOS ANGELES, Calif. — (Jan. 30, 2026) — Nationally renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump issued a statement regarding the arrest of veteran journalist Don Lemon, who was taken into custody by federal agents in Los Angeles on Thursday night. Lemon faces charges in connection to his reporting on an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church on January 18. A federal magistrate judge previously declined to approve an arrest warrant, finding prosecutors had not established probable cause.
Attorney Crump issued the following statement:
“Arresting a journalist for doing his job is a blatant attack on the First Amendment. Don Lemon should never have been put in handcuffs for exercising protected freedoms of the press. This is dangerous, unconstitutional, and must not stand. What makes this even more egregious is that a federal magistrate judge previously declined to sign an arrest warrant, finding prosecutors had not established probable cause.
“When our judicial system determines an arrest lacks legal foundation, it highlights just how severe this violation of constitutional rights truly is. A free press is the cornerstone of our democracy. When journalists are intimidated, detained, or arrested for reporting the news, we all lose.”
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Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit bencrump.com.
