The Justice Department announced Monday it will pursue charges related to a protest that disrupted a Sunday worship service at a St. Paul, Minnesota, church, with officials specifically calling out former CNN journalist Don Lemon for his coverage of the event.
About three dozen protesters entered Cities Church during Sunday service, some walking to the pulpit and loudly chanting “ICE out” and “Renee Good,” referring to a woman fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7.
One of the church’s pastors, David Easterwood, is listed on the church website and appears to be the same David Easterwood who is a top ICE official in the Twin Cities. He was recently named as a defendant in a case brought by protesters who allege immigration agents violated their First and Fourth Amendment rights.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said the agency is investigating potential violations of the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. While the act is best known for protecting clinic entrances, it also bars interfering with the exercise of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.
Dhillon specifically called out Lemon, who was present at the protest and reported from inside the church for his YouTube channel, saying he was “on notice.” She wrote that a house of worship is not a public forum for protest and is a space protected by federal criminal and civil laws.
Lemon defended his actions, saying he was there as a journalist chronicling protests. When the protest started in the church, he reported on it and talked to people involved, including the pastor and members of the church and the organization.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said she spoke to the pastor in Minnesota whose church was targeted, adding that attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship.
Protest leader Nekima Levy Armstrong, who identified herself as a reverend, lawyer and activist, told Lemon the group was there because Easterwood allegedly directs ICE agents to wreak havoc on the community. She said the church cannot be a house of God while harboring someone directing such operations.
Cities Church lead pastor Jonathan Parnell called the disruption shameful and unacceptable. Easterwood was not at Sunday’s service.
The Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention called the protest an unacceptable trauma, saying the service was forced to end prematurely as protesters shouted insults and accusations at youth, children and families. St. Paul police are reportedly investigating the incident as disorderly conduct.
The protest occurred amid ongoing tensions in Minnesota following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent and the deployment of nearly 3,000 federal agents to the Twin Cities as part of Operation Metro Surge.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz condemned the protest through a spokesperson, saying the governor has repeatedly and unequivocally urged protesters to do so peacefully.
