By Catholics for Catholics
On Thursday night, federal authorities took former CNN host Don Lemon into custody for his role in a protest on January 18, when Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists stormed Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. The protesters marched up and down the aisles chanting against the ICE operations happening in the state, and were purportedly looking for the pastor of the church, David Easterwood, who heads the ICE field office in St. Paul.
After being fired from CNN, Don Lemon launched his own show on YouTube. He was invited by the BLM activists to provide coverage of their protest at Cities Church.
Lemon was by no means a neutral observer; he opened his nearly 7-hour livestream of the event by saying that he was “pleasantly surprised to see the community coming together” for the “surprise operation.”
Lemon interviewed Nekima Armstrong, who has been involved in various protests since the George Floyd riots, and she explained that “This is operation pull up, more of a clandestine operation. We show up somewhere uh that is a key location. They don’t expect us to come there and then we disrupt business as usual. So that’s what we’re about to go do right now.”
When Lemon and his cameraman arrived at the church, the congregation was peacefully in the middle of their worship service. You can hear someone leading prayer. At that point, the protesters interrupted. Chaos ensued as the protesters yelled things like “ICE OUT” repeatedly while many of the service attendees hurriedly left the scene.
Religious liberty was violated today as Anti-ICE protestors interrupted a Christian church in Minneapolis, shouting and shaming parishioners during worship.
— Catholics for Catholics 🇺🇲 (@CforCatholics) January 19, 2026
It's shameful to see Don Lemon and other media calling practicing Christians 'fake' and assuming that Jesus would be… pic.twitter.com/ZMrPlCboFk
Lemon is being charged with 18 USC 241, Conspiracy to Deprive Rights, and 18 USC 248, Violation of the FACE Act, interfering by force of someone’s First Amendment rights, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security. Section 241 prohibits “two or more persons” from “[conspiring] to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States.”
Section a, subsection 2 of the FACE Act specifies that anyone who “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” is subject to penalties.
In a statement, Lemon’s attorney Abbe Lowell said that “Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done. The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable. There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work.” Lowell further commented that Lemon’s arrest is an “unprecedented attack” on the First Amendment.
Lemon has a history of anti-Catholic rhetoric. In response to the Vatican’s refusal to bless same-sex unions, Lemon said the Roman Catholic Church and others needed to “reexamine themselves and their teachings.”
“God is not about hindering people or even judging people,” he proclaimed.
Lemon further lectured, “I would say to the pope and the Vatican and all Christians or Catholics or whomever, whatever religion you believe … go out and meet people and try to understand people and do what the Bible and what Jesus actually said, if you believe in Jesus, and that is to love your fellow man and judge not lest ye be not judged.”
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