Don Lemon Speaks Up About His ICE Arrest & Seriousness of Charges

Sag Harbor’s Don Lemon has been at the center of intense chatter since his overnight arrest by federal agents on Jan. 29. The independent journalist and former CNN anchor was taken into custody in California last month after following a group of anti-ICE protesters into a St. Paul, Minn., church on Jan. 18 — an incident Lemon and his attorney say was strictly for reporting purposes.

Lemon, 59, addressed the arrest publicly for the first time during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, admitting the experience has left him conflicted. “I don’t know. That’s a really honest answer. I’m OK but I’m not going to let them steal my joy, but these are very serious. I mean, these are federal criminal charges,” Lemon said.

“There’s a lot that I cannot say but what I will say is I’m not a protester. I went there to be a journalist. I went there to chronicle and document and record what was happening,” he continued.

According to Lemon, the arrest occurred as he was returning to his hotel after attending multiple Grammys-related events in Los Angeles.  He described “being jostled and people trying to grab me and put me in handcuffs,” adding that after requesting a warrant, an FBI agent showed him one on a cell phone.

Lemon also drew a clear distinction between his arrest and how he was treated once he arrived at the federal courthouse, where he stayed in a room overnight. “The guys who work for Homeland security and the FBI are not the guys you see out there on ICE who have 47 days of training and are violating people’s due process rights. They are completely different people,” he said.

Despite the legal uncertainty, Lemon said the outpouring of support has been overwhelming. “I want to thank everybody for their support, especially the journalists, especially the people out there. I mean, it’s been amazing just walking down the street wherever I am people will say ‘It’s good to see you,’” he said.

Following his release, Lemon went on to cover the Grammy Awards on Feb. 1 — the original reason for his trip west. “What my attorney said is, ‘Live your life.’ I was there because, again, I believe it’s freedom of expression and I believe artists are extremely important at this time as I believe journalists are as well.”