Don Lemon faced embarrassment during a street interview in Chicago when he incorrectly claimed that crossing the U.S. border illegally is not a crime. The former CNN host was corrected by a legal Mexican migrant he interviewed about the immigration crisis.
During the exchange, the woman asked Lemon if entering the U.S. without proper documentation is illegal. Lemon responded that it’s only a misdemeanor, not a criminal act. “Ok, so why are they being sent back and saying that they’re breaking the law?” the woman countered. Lemon insisted, “That’s the point!” while wrongly asserting that a misdemeanor isn’t a crime.A second bystander interjected, asking if speeding or drunk driving—other misdemeanors—would also not be crimes. Lemon argued, “We have different levels of crime. Everything is not the same.” The woman replied, “So it is a crime.” Lemon doubled down, saying, “It’s not a crime, you’re not breaking the law—I mean, you are breaking the law, but it’s not a criminal act.”
Don Lemon gets absolutely destroyed by two people on the street in Chicago when he attempts to tell them that crossing the border illegally isn’t a crime.
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) October 10, 2025
After getting utterly embarrassed, he declares: “You guys are getting things mixed up!"
Incredible. pic.twitter.com/JM02BWUMrI
He dismissed the debate as “semantics,” adding, “You guys are getting things mixed up!”
Under Title 8 of the U.S. Code, illegal entry between ports of entry is a misdemeanor, a criminal offense punishable by a fine or up to six months in prison. Re-entry after deportation, removal, or denied admission is a felony, carrying a maximum two-year sentence.