Former CNN host Don Lemon likened his arrest to civil rights protesters of the past during a speech on Saturday.

Lemon spoke at the Human Rights Campaign’s 2026 Greater New York dinner following his arrest and release for his alleged role in an anti-immigration enforcement protest at a Minnesota church.

“So last week, I felt the weight of that truth in a very, very personal way,” Lemon said. “Can you imagine the state having control of your freedom simply because they don’t like that you are doing your job? So that was very frightening to me.”

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He continued, “But in my time when I was there, I thought about all the people who come before me. I thought about all of the people who fought for civil rights who fought for gay rights, all of the people who were at Stonewall, [Marsha P. Johnson]. I’m like, yes, those are the people, those are the real heroes. And so what’s happening to me, I have at least in this time that I’m living now more agency, more resources, more rights than I hope than the people who were fighting for our freedom and our civil rights.”

Though Lemon compared his struggles to those of civil rights protesters, he insisted earlier in his remarks that he was a “journalist” and “not a protester.”

“I saw how fast a story can be turned into a warning. But I’m not an activist. I’m not a protester. I am a journalist. And my calling is not to shout, but my calling is to witness. And that’s what they’re afraid of, of that witness to tell,” Lemon said.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Lemon for comment.

Lemon was charged with conspiracy to deprive rights and a FACE Act violation stemming from his involvement with a group protesting Immigration and Customs and Enforcement (ICE) at St. Paul’s Cities Church last month. He was released without bail on Jan. 30.

In a Substack post made shortly after his release, Lemon drew comparisons between his experience and that of James Baldwin, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X.

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“James Baldwin understood that clarity carries consequences. Dr. King knew that truth invites punishment. Malcolm X saw that systems built on hierarchy will always attempt to silence those who name them. And as voices in the Black prophetic tradition have long warned, truth that threatens power will be met with the full force of authority. And I have felt that force in my own life,” Lemon wrote.

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to block the opening of a new Canadian-built bridge across the Detroit River, demanding that Canada turn over at least half of the ownership of the bridge and agree to other unspecified demands in his latest salvo over cross-border trade issues.

“We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset,” Trump said in a lengthy social media post, complaining that the United States would get nothing from the bridge and that Canada did not use U.S. steel to built it.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge, named after a Canadian hockey star who played for the Detroit Red Wings for 25 seasons, had been expected to open in early 2026, according to information on the project’s website. The project was negotiated by former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder — a Republican — and paid for by the Canadian government to help ease congestion over the existing Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor tunnel. Work has been underway since 2018.

It’s unclear how Trump would seek to block the bridge from being opened, and the White House did not immediately return a request for comment on more details. The Canadian Embassy in Washington also did not immediately return a request for comment.

Trump’s threat comes as the relationship between the U.S. and Canada increasingly sours during the U.S. president’s second term. The United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement is up for review this year, and Trump has been taking a hard-line position ahead of those talks, including by issuing new tariff threats.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, meanwhile, has spoken out on the world stage against economic coercion by the United States.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said the Canadian-funded project is a “huge boon” to her state and its economic future. “You’ll be able to move cargo from Montreal to Miami without ever stopping at a street light,” Slotkin told The Associated Press.

“So to shoot yourself in the foot and threaten the Gordie Howe Bridge means that this guy has completely lost the plot on what’s good for us versus just what’s spite against the Canadians,” Slotkin said.

Michigan, a swing state that Trump carried in both 2016 and 2024, has so far largely avoided the brunt of his second-term crackdown, which has targeted blue states with aggressive immigration raids and cuts to federal funding for major infrastructure projects.

Trump and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have also maintained an unusually cordial relationship, with the president publicly praising her during an Oval Office appearance last April. The two also shared a hug last year ahead of Trump’s announcement of a new fighter jet mission for an Air National Guard base in Michigan.

While Canada paid for the project, the bridge will be operated under a joint ownership agreement between Michigan and Canada, said Stacey LaRouche, press secretary to Whitmer.

“This is the busiest trade crossing in North America,” LaRouche said, saying the bridge was “good for Michigan workers and it’s good for Michigan’s auto industry” as well as being a good example of bipartisan and international cooperation.

“It’s going to open one way or another, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon-cutting,” LaRouche said.

Rep. Shri Thanedar, the Democratic House representative of Detroit, said blocking the bridge would be “crazy” and said Trump’s attacks on Canada weren’t good for business or jobs. “The bridge is going to help Michigan’s economy. There’s so much commerce between Michigan and Canada. They’re one of our biggest partners,” Thanedar said.

Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell of Ann Arbor brushed aside the president’s threat, saying she’s looking forward to the bridge’s opening later in the spring. “And I’ll be there,” Dingell said.

“That bridge is the biggest crossing in this country on the northern border. It’s jobs. It’s about protecting our economy. It was built with union jobs on both sides,” said Dingell. “It’s going to open. Canada is our ally.”

MILWAUKEE – Prosecutors say a Milwaukee man stabbed a woman more than 20 times inside the apartment they shared, then sent messages to her child admitting what he had done.

Mile Dukic, 39, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of felony bail jumping.

The backstory:

Investigators say officers were called late Thursday, Feb. 5, to an apartment on West National Avenue near 36th Street for a wellness check after one of the woman’s children received alarming texts.

Loved ones identified the victim as 44-year-old Amanda Varisco.

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When officers arrived, they found Varisco on the floor, unresponsive. First responders attempted lifesaving measures but she died at the scene.

According to the criminal complaint, Dukic made statements as officers moved in to arrest him.

“I didn’t want to do it.”

Police say Dukic later told investigators he and Varisco saw each other at times but were not long-term partners.

What we know:

He told detectives that Varisco received a phone call from another man and tried to leave, prompting an argument. Dukic admitted punching her several times before stabbing her, prosecutors allege.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office said Varisco suffered 22 stab wounds to her chest and abdomen, along with additional wounds to her hands and arms.

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Investigators say Dukic then sent a message to Varisco’s daughter: “I killed you mom, she was disrespectful and mean talked to dude.”

Court records show Dukic had open cases in Milwaukee County for bail jumping and stalking at the time of the homicide.

Family members have created a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses.

What’s next:

Dukic  is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Tuesday, Feb. 10.