- - Don Lemon Speaks Out About His Arrest at Anti-ICE Protest for the First Time: ‘They want to Instil Fear’

Clare FisherFebruary 3, 2026 at 11:12 AM

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Don Lemon

On Monday, Feb. 2, Don Lemon conducted his first major post arrest interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The interview follows his arrest following his reporting on an anti-ICE protest at a church in Minnesota on Jan. 18

Lemon describes being "jostled" and "handcuffed" by federal agents, telling Kimmel that they wanted to "embarrass" him and "instil fear"

Don Lemon is speaking out following his arrest after reporting at an anti-ICE protest.

The 59-year-old journalist conducted his first post-arrest interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday, Feb. 2. He revealed the details surrounding his arrest after reporting at an anti-ICE protest at a church in Minnesota on Jan. 18.

Upon being asked by Kimmel how he was, Lemon replied, “I don’t know…I’m not going to let them steal my joy, but this is very serious; these are federal, criminal charges.”

Don Lemon; Jimmy Kimmel

When Kimmel joked about prison time, Lemon joked that he shouldn't get ahead of himself.

Lemon then noted that while there was a lot he could not say, “what I will say is that I’m not a protestor, I went there as a journalist. I went there to chronicle, document, and record what was happening. There is a difference between a protestor and a journalist.”

The interview came less than a week after the former CNN anchor’s arrest by federal agents in Los Angeles. After being detained for around 12 hours, the journalist was released without bail and is expected to plead not guilty to charges, as previously reported by PEOPLE.

Don Lemon

PGP / BACKGRID

According to Atty. Gen Pam Bondi, who directed Lemon’s arrest along with three others, it was in connection to what she described on X as a “coordinated attack” on the St. Paul church. He is charged with conspiracy to deprive the church congregants of their rights and interfering with someone’s First Amendment rights.

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Lemon described to Kimmel that on hearing he was set to be arrested, he offered to hand himself in for questioning multiple times, but never heard back from officials. Kimmel also joked that Lemon has not been a “favorite” of President Donald Trump’s since his CNN days.

Lemon then told Kimmel about his arrest at a hotel, revealing he was “jostled,” and "grabbed” and “put in handcuffs.”

He described being taken outside where there were “a dozen” agents, which he calls a “waste” of resources given that he had offered to hand himself in.

“They want to embarrass you, they want to intimidate you, they want to instil fear,” Lemon said.

Addressing a crowd outside the courthouse upon his release last week, Lemon said, per The Los Angeles Times, “There is no more important time than right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on truth and power and holds those in power accountable. I will not stop now, I will not stop ever.”

"Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done," his attorney said in a statement, as previously reported by PEOPLE. "The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable. There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work.”

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”