Don Lemon records anti‑ICE mob confronting Minnesota pastor in church over alleged ties to agency

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Former CNN anchor Don Lemon captured a chaotic scene in Minneapolis on Sunday, January 18, when anti‑Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activists stormed a church and confronted a pastor they believed had ties to immigration enforcement, disrupting the service.

During a YouTube live stream, Lemon recorded the demonstrators entering Cities Church. The group repeatedly yelled slogans like “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot!” and “ICE OUT” as the morning worship was interrupted.

Lemon shared that the service had been halted and that “a lot of people, a number of people have left.” 

Anti-ICE activists storm Minneapolis church, service interrupted 

Lemon reported on the dramatic incident, sharing visuals of protesters confronting a pastor they believed was associated with ICE. Lemon explained that the demonstrators interrupted the service after they had “found out” the pastor worked for ICE, calling their action a “clandestine mission.”

There are no independent reports confirming the pastor’s connection to ICE. 

Minnesota has been grappling with a surge of anti-ICE protests following the death of Renee Nicole Good, with demonstrators frequently clashing with federal immigration authorities. This weekend, the unrest escalated to an unexpected place: a local church.

Footage from inside Cities Church shows agitators chanting “Justice for Renee Good” as the service got underway, yet another mark of escalating tensions amid anti-ICE demonstrations across the Twin Cities.

Don Lemon draws flak for siding with protesters

Several churchgoers expressed anger at the intrusion, shouting at the protesters to leave. Lemon, however, defended the demonstrators, emphasizing that they were exercising their constitutional rights.

He justified the action by comparing it to the civil rights movement.

"When you violate people's due process... people get upset and angry. Remember what the civil rights movement was about. The civil rights movement was about these very kinds of protests," he said.

Lemon went on to add, "This is what the First Amendment is about, the freedom to protest[...]protests are not comfortable[...]The whole point of it is to disrupt and make people uncomfortable."

At one point, a young man in the corner appeared, as Lemon put it, “frightened... scared (and) crying” because of the noise and chaos.

Lemon faced significant criticism on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, YouTube, and Facebook.

Users on Reddit's r/Christianity labeled the event a "church raid" and questioned Lemon's involvement. Many on X accused him of taking part in the storming of the church for attention.

During the event, one parishioner asked Lemon if he was part of the protest. 

Lemon reassured him, saying he was “just here photographing, I’m a journalist.”

After roughly 20 minutes, the protesters left, having effectively ended the service. Lemon then spoke with attendees as they exited.

One older man acknowledged the protesters’ right to express themselves but argued that this didn’t give them permission to ruin a private church service.

“I agree with everyone’s freedom to protest. These people have come into our house and interrupted our worship. This is a house of peace and we try to proclaim that, and this stirs division and rancour. And in the end, it’s not helpful,” the churchgoer said. 

He added, “Ultimately I believe they’ve lost. They’ve emptied a house of worship, everybody’s gone home, their point has been proven worthless. So in the end, I think they lose.”

Now, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice Harmeet Dhillon has put Lemon “on notice” after he suggested to viewers that storming churches was protected under the “First Amendment.”

The Department of Homeland Security condemned the actions in a public statement, warning that “Agitators aren’t just targeting our officers. Now they’re targeting churches, too.” The agency added, “They're going from hotel to hotel, church to church, hunting for federal law enforcement who are risking their lives to protect Americans.”

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