Don Lemon has asked a federal judge to dismiss criminal charges linked to his presence at a January anti-ICE protest in a St Paul, Minnesota church. His lawyers argue that the prosecution was driven by President Donald Trump’s longstanding hostility towards him and unlawfully targets First Amendment-protected journalism, raising broader concerns about whether reporters can be prosecuted for covering protests.

Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles on 29 January while covering the Grammy Awards, following the 18 January protest, and was released the next day. He and several other journalists face allegations under the FACE Act, which protects access to places of worship; prosecutors allege he joined protesters by chanting and obstructing parishioners, while Lemon says he was reporting and livestreaming the event rather than participating.