Don Lemon says arrest over ICE protest was meant to intimidate journalists, not enforce law

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Don Lemon has publicly detailed for the first time the circumstances of his arrest by the moment he was arrested by federal authorities following his coverage on an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church, describing the operation as a deliberate attempt to “embarrass,” “intimidate” and “instill fear” in journalists.

The former CNN anchor appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday night, marking his first major television interview since the incident. Kimmel opened the segment with a jab, suggesting Lemon had been arrested for “committing journalism, which is a very serious crime under our current administration.”

Lemon reiterated that he was not participating in the protest but was there strictly to document events. “I was there to chronicle and record what was happening,” he said.

Don Lemon: ‘I was there to document, not protest’

According to Lemon, the arrest occurred days later in Los Angeles after he returned from covering a Grammys-related event. He said multiple officers, approached him near a hotel elevator, jostled, and placed him in handcuffs without explanation.

After requesting to see a warrant, Lemon said agents were initially unable to produce one. An FBI agent later appeared and showed a copy of the warrant on a cellphone. Lemon added that his glasses had fallen to the floor during the encounter, making it difficult for him to read the document.

“I’m trying to figure out what’s going on, to get my bearings,” Lemon recalled, noting that his belongings were dropped during the arrest.

Lemon says show of force was unnecessary

Lemon said as many as a dozen federal officers were involved, describing the show of force as unnecessary. “It had to be maybe a dozen people, which is a waste of resources,” he told Kimmel.

He added that his attorney had previously reached out to federal authorities to arrange Lemon’s voluntary surrender, but received no response before the arrest.

“They want that,” Lemon said of the spectacle. “They want to embarrass you. They want to intimidate you. They want to instill fear. And so that’s why they did it that way.”

Denied phone call, legal access until next day

Lemon said he could not discuss many details of the case, but confirmed that he retained legal counsel after Donald Trump publicly called for his arrest, followed by similar remarks from senior administration officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi.

While in custody, Lemon said he was denied a phone call and could not reach his husband or lawyer until the following day. “I asked them, ‘Do I get my one phone call?’ They said, ‘No, you don’t,’” he said.

His husband only learned of the arrest after Lemon persuaded an agent to pass along a bracelet he had been wearing.

Although Lemon acknowledged that some officers later treated him professionally, he drew a sharp distinction with those who carried out the arrest, describing the encounter as intentionally punitive.

When asked how he was coping, Lemon replied, “I don’t know- that’s an honest answer,” before adding, “I’m OK. I’m not going to let them steal my joy. But this is very serious. These are federal criminal charges.”