Don Lemon facing federal civil rights charges

ARRESTED OVERNIGHT OVER A PROTEST AT A CHURCH NEAR. CHURCH NEAR MINNEAPOLIS EARLIER THIS MONTH. MINNEAPOLIS EARLIER THIS MONTH. OUR LIZ KRKREUTZ WAS IN. THIS MONTH. OUR LIZ KREUTZ WAS IN THAT COURTROOM. THAT COURTROOM. >> Reporter: TONIGHT FORMER CNN ANCHOR. >> Reporter: TONIGHT FORMER CNN ANCHOR TURNED INDEPENDENT. FORMER CNN ANCHOR TURNED INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST DON LEMON. TURNED INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST DONON LEMON OUT OF CUSTODY BUT. JOURNALIST DON LEMON OUT OF CUSTODY B BUT FACING FEDERAL CIVIL. FACING FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS CHARGES AFTER COVERING AN. RIGHTS CHARGES AFTER COVERIRING AN ANTI-I.C.E. PROTEST. COVEVERING AN ANTI-I.C.E. PROTEST INSIDE A CHURCH NEAR. ANTI-I.C.E. PROTEST INSIDE A CHURCH NEAR MINNEAPOLIS. INSIDE A CHURCH NEAR MINNEAPOLIS. APPEARING IN LOS. APPEARING IN LOS ANGELES FEDERAL COURT TODAY, L LEMON CHARGED. ANGELES FEDERAL COURURT TODAY, LEMON CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY TO. TODAY, LEMON CHAHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY TO DEPRIVE RIGHTS AND FOR. DEPRIVE RIGHTS AND FOR VIOLATING A FEDERAL LAW W THAT PROHIBITS. LAW THAT PROHIBITS PEOPLE FROM INTERFERING WITH THE. PEOPLE FROM INTERFERING WITH THEHE RIGHT TO ATTEND.

ININTERFERING WITH THE RIGHT TO ATTEND RELIGIOUS SERVICES, A. RIGHT TO ATTEND RELIGIOUS SERVICES, A MOVE LEMON'S ATTORNEY. MOVE LEMON'S ATTORNEY CALLS AN UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK ON THE FIRST. CALLS AN UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT. ATTACK ON THE FIRST T AMENDMENT. >> I'M JUST HERE TO. AMENDMENT. >> I'M JUST HERE TO CHRONICLE E AND TO GET. >> I'M JUST HERE T TO CHRONICLE AND TO GET SOME ANSWERS. SOME ANSWERS. >> Reporter: THE CHARGES STSTEMMING FROM. CHARGES STEMMING FROM LEMON'S COVERAGE OF THIS PROTEST DURURING A. LEMON'S COVERAGE OF THIS PROTEST DURING A SUNDAY MORNING CHURCH. SUNDAY MORNING CHURCH SERVICE EARLIER THIS MONTH WHWHERE. SERVICE EARLIER THIS MONTH WHERE DEDEMONSTRATORS SAY A. MONTH WHERE DEMONSTRATORS SAY A PASTOR ALSO WORKED AS. PASTOR ALSO WORKED AS AN I.C.E. FIELD DIRECTOR. AN I.C.E. FIELD DIDIRECTOR. >> THIS SHOWS YOU JUST. DIRECTOR. >> THIS SHOWS YOU JUST HOW DIVIDED AMERICA IS. >> THIS SHOWS YOU JUST HOW DIVIDEDED AMERICA IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PROTESTERS HERE AND THEN YOU L LOOK AT THE. PROTESTERS HERE AND THEN YOU LOOK AT THE PEOPLE THERE PRAYING. PEOPLE THERE PRAYING. >> Reporter: IN LEMON'S LIVE STREAM. >> Reporter: IN LEMON'S LIVE STREAM FROM INSIDE YOU CAN. LEMON'S LIVE STREAM FROM INSIDE YOU CAN SEE HIM INTERVIEWIWING A. FROM INSIDE YOU CAN SEE HIM INTERVIEWING A PASTOR WHO ASKED HIM.

PASTOR WHO ASKED HIM TO LEAVE. >> WE'RE HERE TO. TO LEAVE. >> WE'RE HERE TO WORSHIP JESUS. >> WE'RE HERE TO WORSHIHIP JESUS. THAT'S THE HOPE OF THE. WORSHIP JEJESUS. THAT'S THE HOPE OF THE WORLD IS JESUS CHRIST. WORLD IS JESUS CHRIST. >> Reporter: HE WILL BE R RESPECTFUL. BE RESPECTFUL. PLEASE DON'T PUSH ME. >> I HAVE TO TAKE E CARE. PLEASE DON'T PUSH ME. >> I I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF MY CHURCH AND. OF MY CHURCH AND FAMILY. I ASK YOU WOWOULD ALSO. I ASK YOU WOULD ALSO LEAVE THIS BUILDING. >> Reporter: LEMON. LEAVE THIS BUILDING. >> Reporter: LEMON REPEATEDLY IDENTIFIES. >> Reporter: LEMON REPEATEDLY IDEDENTIFIES HIMSELF AS A. HIMSELF AS A JOURNALIST. >>>> I'M JUST. JOURNALIST. >> I'M JUST CHRONICLING. >> I'M JUST CHRONICLINING. I'M A JOURNALIST. I'M A JOURNALIST. THEY ARE ACTIVISTS. >> Reporter:r: THE DOJ. THEY ARE ACTIVISTS. >> Reporter: THE DOJ IS GROUPING LEMON AND. >> Reporter: THE DOJ IS GROUPING LEMON AND ANOTHER INDEPENDENT. ANOTHER INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST WITH THE PROTEST ORGANIZERS. JOURNALIST WITH THE PROTEST ORGANIZEZERS. FEDERAL AUTHORITIES. FEDERAL AUTHORITIES ARRESTING LEMON, EVEN AFTER A JUDGE HAHAD. ARRESTING LEMON, EVEN AFTER A JUDGE HAD INITIALLY RULED THERERE.

AFTER A JUDGE HAD INITIALLY RURULED THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT. INITIALLY RULED THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO DO SO. WAS ININSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO DO SO. >> MAKE NO MISTAKE, EVIDENCE TO DO SO. >> MAKE NO MISTAKEKE, UNDER PRESIDENT. >> MAKE NO MISTAKE, UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP'S LEADERSHIP AND. UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP'S LEADERSHIP AND THIS ADMINISTRATION, TRUMP'S LEADERSHIP AND THIS ADMINISTRATION, YOU HAVE THEHE RIGHT TO. THIS ADMINISTRATION,N, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO WORSHIP FREELY AND. WORSHIP FREELY AND SAFELY, AND IF I HAVEN'T BEEN CLEAR. SAFELY, AND IF I HAVEN'T BEEN CLEAR ALREADY, IF YOU. HAVEN'T BEEN CLEAR ALREADY, IF YOU VIOLOLATE THAT SACRED. ALREADY, IF YOU VIOLATE THAT SACRED D RIGHT, WE ARE COMING. RIGHT, WE ARE COMING AFTER YOU. >> Reporter: AFTER YOU. >> Reporter: JOURNALISM RIGHTS. JOURNALISM RIGHTS GROUPS BLASTING LEMON'S ARARREST. GROUPS BLASTING G LEMON'S ARREST. HIS ATTORNEY SAYING, LEMON'S ARREST. HIS ATTORNEY SAYING, DON HAS BEEN A. 0. DON HAS BEEN A JOURNALIST FOR 30 YEARS AND IS. JOURNALIST FOR 30 YEARS S AND IS CONSTITUTIONALLY. CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED WORK IN MINNEAPOLIS WAS NO. MINNEAPOLIS WAS NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HE HAS ALWAYSYS DONE. DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HE HAS ALWAWAYS DONE. >> LIZ JOINS US NOW. >> LIZ JOINS US NOW LIVE. LIZ, LEMON SPOKE.

LIVE. LIZ, LEMON SPOKE OUTSIDE OF COURT. LIZ, LEMON SPOKE OUTSIDE OFOF COURT MOMENTS AGO. MOMENTS AGO. YOU WERE RIGHT THERE. WHWHAT DID HE SAY? YOU WERE RIGHT THERE. WHAT DID HE SAY? >> Reporter: YEAH, HE. WHAT DID HE SAY? >> Reporter: YEAH, H HE JUST WALKED OUT OF THE. >> Reporter: YEAH, HE JUST WALKEKED OUT OF THE COURTROOM HERE. COURTROOM HERE HAND-IN-HAND WITH HIS HUSBAND, AND HE JUST. HAND-IN-HAND WITH HIS HUSBAND, ANDND HE JUST STOPPED AND TALKED TO. STOPPED AND TALKED TO REPORTERS. ANAND HE SAID, "I HAVE. REPORTERS. AND HE SAID,D, "I HAVE SPENT MY ENTIRE CAREER. SPENT MY ENTIRE CAREER COVERING THE NEWS. I WILL NOT STOP NOW.