Former CNN anchor Don Lemon, appearing on The Left Hook podcast with Wajahat Ali, told listeners minority communities should prepare for Immigration and Customs Enforcement showing up at their doors. His remarks landed in a heated moment that mixes immigration politics and public safety. Republicans called the comments reckless.
Those comments came as protests at ICE facilities in cities like Chicago and Portland have escalated into clashes with federal agents in recent weeks. Demonstrations that once stayed on sidewalks have sometimes turned into physical confrontations, raising alarms among law enforcement and residents. The backdrop matters when influential voices stoke the rhetoric.
“Black people, brown people of all stripes, whether you’re an Indian-American or a Mexican-American or whoever you are, go out in your place where you live and get a gun. Legally,” Lemon said.
A July raid on a California marijuana farm turned violent when a person fired at ICE agents, prompting an FBI reward for information leading to identification and arrest. Incidents like that have real victims and real legal consequences. They also fuel fear in communities that worry about enforcement tactics.
“Get a license to carry legally,” Lemon said. “Because when you have people knocking on your door and taking you away without due process as a citizen, isn’t that what the Second Amendment was written for?”
“Go back and read what the Second Amendment says and perhaps it will knock some sense in the heads of these people who are saying, ‘Well, it’s all great. I don’t believe they’re doing it without due process. They’re asking people for papers. They’re not really beating people up. These people are doing things that are illegal,’” Lemon continued. “Nobody is illegal. It is a misdemeanor to cross the border.”
ICE agents have experienced a 1000% increase in assaults year-over-year, according to an August Department of Homeland Security release, and DHS later flagged multiple violent attacks at a Broadview, Illinois facility in a Sept. 26 on X. During a Chicago operation agents said they were attacked by multiple assailants who used vehicles to ram federal vehicles, and some reports say local police stood down instead of intervening. Those episodes have hardened public attitudes about enforcement and protection.
Portland saw violent clashes too, with reporters and bystanders targeted amid protests and accusations that rioters planned to use lasers against federal aircraft. Across the country, federal facilities have become focal points for escalating tensions between activists and law enforcement. The spread of violence complicates simple political narratives.
From a Republican perspective, urging people — especially vulnerable communities — to arm themselves to resist federal agents crosses a dangerous line. It risks normalizing violence, throws civilians into harm’s way and weakens the rule of law that protects everyone. Republicans emphasize supporting lawful, accountable enforcement and respecting the Second Amendment within clear legal boundaries.
Two people were killed in a shooting at a Dallas ICE office on Sept. 24, and earlier July incidents in Texas saw shots fired at ICE and Border Patrol facilities with suspects later charged with attempted murder. Those cases are grim reminders that armed confrontation often ends in tragedy rather than justice. Lawmakers on the right say those outcomes prove the need for order, not escalatory rhetoric.
Words from high-profile hosts move markets of opinion and can shift behaviors on the street, which is why many conservatives are urging cooler heads and clearer focus on securing borders and protecting officers. Responsible debate should separate legal protest from violence and insist that anyone advocating arms do so only within the law and with respect for public safety. The fight over immigration and enforcement will keep drawing lines, but rhetoric that tips toward violence is a poor road to any solution.
Illinois @GovPritzker and @ChicagosMayor Brandon Johnson’s nonstop demonization of ICE has fueled the frenzied riots at the ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois.
Since September 19, violent rioters have repeatedly attacked this ICE facility. DHS and law enforcement have arrested… pic.twitter.com/5Y9EMJhHyd
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 26, 2025
