Journalist Don Lemon was arrested late Thursday by federal agents on charges tied to his coverage of a protest inside a Minnesota church earlier this month, according to the New York Times.

Georgia Fort, another independent journalist, was also arrested for her coverage of the same protest. “It's hard to understand how we have a Constitution, Constitutional rights, when you can be arrested for being a member of the press," said Fort, who livestreamed her arrest, according to Axios.

The arrests stem from a Jan. 18 demonstration at Cities Church in St. Paul, where activists interrupted Sunday services to denounce immigration enforcement after a pastor was accused of working for ICE.

“Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy awards,” said Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell. “Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done.”

He continued, “This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”

Lemon entered the church to document the protest and streamed the event on his YouTube channel, interviewing worshipers, organizers, and church leaders amid tense encounters.

In his livestream and in subsequent comments, he has insisted he was there as a journalist, not a participant. Federal officials, however, have pursued charges under a statute meant to protect people’s ability to attend religious services without intimidation or obstruction.

The legal fight has already gotten complicated: Last week, a federal magistrate judge rejected a proposed criminal complaint against Lemon. Civil rights advocates and press freedom groups are watching closely, warning that criminalizing newsgathering at protests could impact coverage of social movements.

“Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism, which was report on it and talk to the people involved, including the pastor, members of the church, and members of the organization,” Lemon said in a recent video. “That’s it. That’s called journalism.”

The Minnesota demonstration was part of broader outrage over immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities, including multiple fatal shootings and weeks of civil unrest.

This story is developing and will be updated as necessary.