The Department of Justice has launched an investigation after a coordinated group of activists, joined by former CNN host Don Lemon, disrupted a Sunday church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, forcing congregants to abandon worship and drawing sharp rebukes from federal officials.
The incident unfolded at Cities Church, where dozens of protesters packed into the sanctuary as part of what organizers openly described as a “clandestine operation” designed to disrupt normal activities. Activist leader Nekima Levy-Armstrong made the remarks during an interview with Lemon, who embedded himself with the group before and during the protest. The disruption lasted roughly 30 minutes and effectively shut down the service as churchgoers were driven out.
Lemon interviewed Levy-Armstrong ahead of what organizers called “Operation Pullup,” then accompanied the protesters to the church. Throughout the incident, Lemon conducted interviews, argued with church members, and defended the demonstrators’ actions as protected “free speech,” at one point comparing the invasion of the church to tactics used during the civil rights movement.
Video clips from Lemon’s livestream quickly spread across social media and caught the attention of Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Dhillon announced that the division is investigating potential violations of the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, known as the FACE Act.
Agitators aren’t just targeting our officers. Now they’re targeting churches, too.
They're going from hotel to hotel, church to church, hunting for federal law enforcement who are risking their lives to protect Americans.
Tim Walz and Jacob Frey are responsible for whipping… https://t.co/O3WQ6Iftfe
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) January 18, 2026
In a post on X, Dhillon said the investigation centers on individuals who desecrated a house of worship and interfered with Christian worshippers. The Justice Department notes that the FACE Act prohibits the use or threat of force and physical obstruction that injures, intimidates, or interferes with a person’s ability to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of worship.
Dhillon later suggested that Lemon himself could be a target of the investigation due to his role in the protest. She warned that a house of worship is not a public forum for political demonstrations and is protected by federal criminal and civil law. She also rejected Lemon’s claim that his conduct was shielded by the First Amendment, saying his actions went beyond journalism and into disruption of a prayer service.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also weighed in on the incident on X, signaling concern from the administration over the disruption.
The protest was organized and promoted by the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota. Activists targeted Cities Church because Levy-Armstrong claimed that one of the church’s pastors works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She told Lemon that the church could not present itself as a house of God while, in her view, harboring someone connected to ICE operations in the community. Levy-Armstrong described herself as a reverend, lawyer, and activist acting in the name of righteousness, truth, and justice.
During Lemon’s livestream, Levy-Armstrong led protesters down the aisle during the service, chanting slogans such as “justice for Renee Good,” “hands up, don’t shoot,” and “ICE out of Minnesota.” As the chanting continued, Lemon delivered monologues about the First Amendment and the value of protest, even as churchgoers stood by waiting for the disruption to end.
Lemon repeatedly compared the demonstration to the civil rights movement and insisted the Constitution protects protests at any time or place. He acknowledged that the scene was uncomfortable and traumatic for those present, but argued that discomfort is the point of protesting.
At one point, Lemon interviewed the church’s lead pastor, Jonathan Parnell, who was not the pastor accused of working for ICE. Parnell told Lemon it was shameful to interrupt Christians gathered for worship. Lemon pushed back, invoking free speech and assembly, while Parnell responded that the church was there to worship Jesus Christ before ending the exchange.
The Justice Department’s investigation now places the confrontation under federal scrutiny, as officials weigh whether the activists’ actions crossed the line from protest into unlawful interference with religious freedom.
