Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles on Thursday over his coverage of an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church, according to his attorney Abbe Lowell. The arrest stems from Lemon's involvement in a January 18 demonstration at Cities Church in St. Paul, where protesters disrupted religious services to object to a pastor who serves as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official.

Lemon, now working as an independent journalist, faces two federal charges: conspiracy to violate constitutional rights and violating the FACE Act, which protects religious worship. He was reportedly arrested while covering the Grammy Awards and is scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Friday.

Three others were arrested in connection with the same incident, including journalist Georgia Fort. Lowell characterized the charges as "an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment" and vowed to fight them "vigorously and thoroughly in court."

The controversial arrest has raised concerns press freedom advocates, who worry that criminalizing journalists for covering protests could have a chilling effect on newsgathering. Lemon prior to his arrest maintained his reporting was appropriate, calling attention to the "tragic death of Renee Nicole Good" as the issue that motivated the original demonstrations.