Former CNN host Don Lemon is under fire after suggesting that Black and Brown Americans should legally arm themselves in case Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents come to their homes, as reported by Fox News.

Lemon made the remarks Tuesday during an appearance on The Left Hook with Wajahat Ali, claiming that immigration officers are “rounding people up off the street without due process” and “sending them off to a gulag.”

Lemon prefaced his comments by saying he was not “condoning or promoting violence” but said he was “tired of the niceties.”

He continued, “If you believe in the Second Amendment, if you believe in the Constitution, 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. Get a license to carry legally.”

He then questioned the government’s actions, saying, “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?”

Lemon claimed he wanted to “knock some sense” into members of the Trump administration and went on to say that “nobody is illegal.”

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He argued, “It is a misdemeanor to cross the border. Now, if you do it a number of times, then it becomes something else. But there’s nowhere near the level of criminality… and what Donald Trump did is at the highest level of criminality, except for taking someone’s life.”

When asked about the comments, podcast host Wajahat Ali defended Lemon’s statements in a response to Fox News Digital, saying Lemon was exercising his First Amendment rights.

“Don Lemon has a right to express his views in the United States of America thanks to the First Amendment, which is allegedly championed by the Trump administration,” Ali said.

“If anything, I’d assume Republicans would agree with him that Americans have the right to legally bear arms thanks to the 2nd Amendment. Unless, of course, they only believe that right exists for White Trump supporters? If so, they should admit that publicly.”

Fox News Digital reported that ICE and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials strongly condemned Lemon’s remarks. Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called his statements “unhinged” and “dangerous.”

“Calling for violence against law enforcement is un-American — officers are already facing a 1,000% increase in assaults against them, including terrorist attacks, cars being used as weapons, rocks thrown at them and shot at,” McLaughlin said.

“Words have consequences, and this type of rhetoric is going to get one of our officers killed.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed in August that assaults against ICE agents have surged by 1,000% since the agency began increased immigration enforcement operations.

As of Wednesday, Lemon had not issued a public statement or clarification regarding his comments.

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