The former CNN star anchor Don Lemon, among others, is under investigation by the Department of Justice for crashing Sunday services at a Minneapolis church, where a pastor is an area ICE official.  

The decision to protest inside of the St. Paul building, which was identified as Cities Church — a nondenominational organization — by the Minnesota Star Tribune, marks the first time that a significant number of anti-ICE protesters have tried to track down an ICE official while they were not on duty. The pastor, David Easterwood is listed as a pastor on the church’s website, though it offers no biographic details. 

Mr. Easterwood was recently named in a lawsuit filed by the ACLU, alleging that he and other Department of Homeland Security officials racially profiled and violated the rights of Minnesota citizens during their deportation raids. He currently leads the ICE field office of St. Paul, Minnesota. 

In a video of the confrontation, lead pastor Jonathan Parnell can be seen yelling “shame on you” at the protesters who had entered his church on St. Paul’s prestigious Summit Avenue. 

Mr. Parnell was confronted during the protests by Mr. Lemon. The pastor said he asked the demonstrators to leave, and called the incident “unacceptable” and “shameful.”

Mr. Lemon then pushed back against Mr. Parnell, who said it was his responsibility to care for his “flock.” Mr. Lemon said there is “a Constitution and a First Amendment to freedom of speech and freedom to assemble,” arguing that it was both appropriate and legal for the protesters to be there. 

“We’re here to worship. We’re here to worship Jesus,” the pastor responded. 

“Do you think Jesus would be understanding and love these folks?” Mr. Lemon shot back. 

Shortly after videos of the protest went viral, top Justice Department officials quickly said that an investigation had been opened. 

“This is un-American and outrageous,” the assistant attorney general for civil rights, Harmeet Dhillon, wrote on X, saying that she was in contact with the area’s federal prosecutors about an investigation. 

“The [civil rights division] is investigating the potential violations of the federal FACE Act by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers,” Ms. Dhillon wrote in a message. 

The FACE Act, authored by Senator Edward Kennedy in the 1990s, states that one can be prosecuted if one “by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.”

The attorney general, Pam Bondi, also weighed in late Sunday night. She says the DOJ stands ready to hold individuals accountable. 

“I just spoke to the Pastor in Minnesota whose church was targeted. Attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law,” Ms. Bondi wrote on X. “If state leaders refuse to act responsibly to prevent lawlessness, this Department of Justice will remain mobilized to prosecute federal crimes and ensure that the rule of law prevails.”

Mr. Lemon acknowledged the investigation opened by the DOJ on Sunday in a video he posted online. He says he was just there “chronicling protests” and had no idea ahead of time that they would be heading into a house of worship. 

“Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism,” he argued. “That’s it. It’s called journalism.”

Many people online quickly trained their eyes on Mr. Lemon for attending the protest inside of the church. The rapper Nicki Minaj — who recently appeared at Charlie Kirk’s annual AmericaFest conference alongside Kirk’s widow — said Mr. Lemon should be arrested. 

“I WANT THAT THUG IN JAIL!!!!!” Ms. Minaj wrote on Monday. “HE WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO ANY OTHER RELIGION. LOCK HIM UP!!!!!”

After being fired by CNN in 2023 following offensive comments about women, Mr. Lemon became a popular, independent journalist and liberal political commentator with more than a million subscribers on YouTube and a paid Substack.