In brief
During an appearance on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!', Don Lemon shared alarming details about his recent arrest by federal agents in Los Angeles. Lemon had prepared to turn himself in regarding civil rights charges linked to a protest that disrupted a church service. However, he was shocked when agents abruptly confronted him in the hotel without a prior warrant. Lemon emphasized he was merely acting as a journalist, documenting the event. Following his release, he vowed to continue contesting the charges and stated, 'I will not be silenced.'
Don Lemon said about a dozen federal agents came to his Los Angeles hotel to arrest him last week, even though his attorney had informed authorities he would turn himself in to face federal civil rights charges over his coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a Minnesota church.
Lemon told ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that sending the agents was a waste of resources, implying that law enforcement wouldn’t have had to dispatch agents if he had been allowed to surrender voluntarily.
“I was walking up to the room and I pressed the elevator button, and then all of a sudden, I feel myself being jostled and people trying to grab me and put me in handcuffs,” the independent journalist recounted. He questioned the agents about their identity and requested to see a warrant, only to be told it was not available. Eventually, an FBI agent showed him the warrant on a cell phone.
The Department of Justice and FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
Kimmel introduced Lemon as his first guest of the night, joking that he was “arrested for committing journalism.” Lemon’s attorney stated that he plans to plead not guilty and after his release, he asserted, “I will not be silenced.”
A grand jury in Minnesota indicted Lemon and other journalists on charges of conspiracy and interference with the First Amendment rights during the protest. Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023, affirmed that he had no affiliation with the protest group, emphasizing he was only there to document events as a journalist.
Lemon expressed frustration over restrictions on his communication during the arrest, highlighting the challenges he faced while being handcuffed and attempting to contact his husband for assistance.
In a related note, Kimmel himself became a symbol against censorship through actions taken by the FCC regarding his show last year, raising concerns about First Amendment rights in Congress.
