Don Lemon, a journalist, recounted his arrest following coverage of an anti-ICE protest at a Minneapolis church.
On January 18, the former CNN reporter attended a protest at the Cities Church in St Paul, accompanied by activists, as part of his YouTube show, The Don Lemon Show.
During this event, he spoke with pastor Jonathan Parnell while anti-ICE protesters entered the church, opposing David Easterwood, a church leader they claimed to be the Acting Field Office Director for ICE in St Paul.
The video sparked some backlash, including criticism from President Donald Trump, who labeled Lemon a ‘lightweight’ and a ‘loser,’ and from Trump supporter Nicki Minaj, who demanded Lemon’s incarceration.
Subsequently, Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort were charged with federal civil rights violations, including conspiracy and obstructing First Amendment rights, KSTP-TV reported.
Both denied involvement in the protest.
Lemon was detained at a Los Angeles hotel upon arrival for Grammy coverage. A judge granted his release without bail on January 30.
In his first interview since the arrest, Lemon appeared on Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC talk show.
The 59-year-old explained that he was not permitted to surrender voluntarily, despite having legal representation and a willingness to do so.
Instead, Lemon recounted how ‘at least a dozen’ federal agents apprehended him while he was waiting for an elevator at the hotel.
“All of a sudden I feel myself being jostled and people trying to grab me and put me in handcuffs,” he told Kimmel.
After requesting the officers identify themselves, Lemon asked to see the arrest warrant.
He continued: “They had to wait for someone from outside, an FBI guy, to come in to show me a warrant on a cell phone and by that time I was like trying to figure out what was going on, to get my bearings.
“My glasses had fallen on the floor. I’m like, I can’t read that. So, they had to pick my glasses up and I read it and still – what does that mean?”
Lemon criticized the situation as a ‘waste of resources’, adding: “I think my attorney tried to contact them once, maybe twice – that I could just go in and it would have to be just the folks who were just working there that day. They wouldn’t have to have all these people following me around.”
He added: “They want to embarrass you, they want to intimidate you, they want to instill fear.”
On February 2, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced two additional arrests related to the St Paul church protest, raising the total number of arrests to nine. A grand jury charged all nine individuals with conspiracy and interference with the First Amendment rights of worshippers.
This follows the shooting death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents during a protest against heightened ICE activity in Minneapolis.
Earlier in January, Renee Nicole Good, a mother, was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross while in her car.
Since returning to office in January of the previous year, Trump pledged to enforce stricter immigration policies.
By mid-January, the administration reported the revocation of approximately 100,000 visas due to alleged criminal activities since he resumed presidential duties.
As of late January, eight individuals, including Alex and Renee, had died in encounters with ICE, according to reports from the Guardian.