NEW: Minnesota Church Weighs Legal Action Against Don Lemon, Protesters

Leaders of Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, are actively evaluating legal action following a disruptive protest that interrupted their Sunday worship service on Sunday. The disruption occurred after anti-ICE activists, accompanied by former CNN anchor Don Lemon, targeted the church due to a member’s affiliation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

In an official statement released by the church elders, they described the incident as “shameful, unlawful, and [that] will not be tolerated,” confirming they are “evaluating next steps with our legal counsel.”

The church described the mob as a “group of agitators jarringly disrupted our worship gathering” who “accosted members of our congregation, frightened children, and created a scene marked by intimidation and threat.”

“Such conduct is shameful, unlawful, and will not be tolerated. Invading a church service to disrupt the worship of Jesus — or any other act of worship — is protected by neither the Christian Scriptures nor the laws of this nation,” the statement continued.

Pastor Jonathan Parnell confronted the intruders during the service, asking them to leave, while the church emphasized their commitment to worshiping Jesus amid the chaos. The disruption stemmed from protesters’ claims that Pastor David Easterwood serves as the acting director of ICE’s St. Paul field office.

The group of agitators, which included activists linked to anti-ICE efforts and Black Lives Matter Minnesota figures such as Nekima Levy Armstrong, stormed the sanctuary mid-sermon.

Videos from the scene show agitators storming the church alongside former CNN host Don Lemon, who now hosts an independent program on YouTube. Lemon narrated the videos largely as an activist, repeatedly praising the protesters as an example of successful action during the civil rights movement.

“When you violate people’s due process, when you pull people off the street, and you start dragging them and hurting them and not abiding by the Constitution, when you start doing all of that, people get upset and angry,” the self-styled journalist said as agitators yelled “hands up, don’t shoot” at churchgoers, a reference to the debunked narrative of the Michael Brown shooting.

Lemon told churchgoers that it was a “First Amendment right” to disrupt a church service and insinuated that anyone should be allowed to do whatever they want in a church.

One individual, who goes by the handle “dawokefarmer” on TikTok threatened churchgoers while labeling them as “fake Christians” and “comfortable white people.”

NEW: Completely unhinged liberal lunatic starts screaming at Christians trying to worship at a church in Minnesota.

“As you can see, all these pretend Christians, all these comfortable white people who are living lavish, comfortable lives…”

“Touch me again and see what… pic.twitter.com/jUCi2HYTVH

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 18, 2026

The Trump Administration responded swiftly and has indicated that charges will be filed against some or all of the individuals involved, including Lemon.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, led by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, launched an investigation within hours. She described the actions as “desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers.”

Dillion specifically placed Lemon “on notice” and vowed that the DOJ will pursue charges,” citing potential violations of the FACE Act (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which protects religious worship from interference), trespass, disorderly conduct, and disturbing a religious meeting.

President Trump described the mob as a group of “agitators and insurrectionists” who are “highly trained to scream, rant, and rave,” adding they “should be thrown in jail, or thrown out of the Country.”

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