Former CNN host Don Lemon has appeared before a judge after being arrested for entering a Minnesota church and filming anti-immigration enforcement protesters as they disrupted a service. After appearing in court, Lemon was released from custody. He told media outside that he was arrested for covering the news, adding: 'I will not be silenced.' The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said he was charged with 'conspiracy to deprive rights' and 'violation of the FACE Act', by allegedly interfering in someone's First Amendment rights by force.

Lemon went into the Cities Church in St Paul on January 18 with protesters who claimed one of the pastors was an immigration enforcement official. Lemon, an independent journalist, said he was taken into custody by federal agents on Thursday. He did not enter a plea in court. 'Last night the DOJ sent a team of federal agents to arrest me in the middle of the night for something that I have been doing for the last 30 years and that is covering the news,' he stated.

'In fact, there is no more important time than right now for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable.' Lemon's charges have sparked a national conversation about press freedom, as his legal team vows to fight against these 'unprecedented attacks.' The incident raises alarm among advocates for First Amendment rights, especially given it follows other incidents involving journalists under scrutiny by federal agencies.