The Department of Justice has launched a formal investigation after a Sunday church service in St. Paul, Minnesota was disrupted by a group of activists—accompanied by former CNN host Don Lemon—who stormed the sanctuary mid-service in what they called “Operation Pullup.”
The protest, led by activist Nekima Levy-Armstrong and supported by the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota, targeted Cities Church. The reason? One of its pastors allegedly works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The protest lasted approximately 30 minutes and led to the early shutdown of the service as stunned worshippers exited under chants of “justice for Renee Good,” “hands up, don’t shoot,” and “ICE out of Minnesota.”
Lemon, now a YouTube commentator, wasn’t just covering the demonstration—he was embedded with the group and actively defending their actions in real time. “This is what protesting is about,” he said during the stream, arguing the Constitution protects such disruption. “There is nothing in the Constitution that tells you what time you can protest.”
The former CNN anchor compared the event to the civil rights movement, justifying the intrusion into the church by stating it was necessary to “make people uncomfortable.”
But the backlash was immediate—and now potentially criminal.
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
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, announced that the department is investigating potential violations of the federal FACE Act. The law protects both access to reproductive health services and the right to worship without interference or intimidation. Dhillon didn’t stop there—she strongly implied that Lemon himself could be subject to prosecution.
“You are on notice,” Dhillon posted to X, blasting the invasion of a religious space and accusing Lemon of masking his “pseudo journalism” behind free speech protections. “A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest!”
President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship.
The Department of Justice has launched a full investigation into the despicable incident that took place earlier today at a church in Minnesota.
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 19, 2026
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also weighed in, slamming the protest’s execution and the targeting of a church over an ICE connection.
Despite the public condemnation, Levy-Armstrong remained unapologetic, calling the protest a righteous act. “I am a reverend on top of being a lawyer and an activist, so I come here in the power of the almighty God,” she declared to Lemon during the protest.
The incident has sparked nationwide outrage, as clips of the protest spread across social media showing not just slogans and chants—but visible distress among congregants, including a young man who Lemon acknowledged was “scared” and “crying.”
Don Lemon got obliterated by a wise man outside of the church in St. Paul that Lemon took part in invading and attacking on Sunday.
The wise man didn’t cave to any of Lemon’s leftists propaganda and left Lemon chasing after him to try to save face.
Nice!pic.twitter.com/TzNgmZB3vQ
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) January 19, 2026
Cities Church’s lead pastor, Jonathan Parnell, who was not the ICE-linked staff member, confronted Lemon directly. “It’s shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship,” he said before cutting the conversation short.
As the DOJ’s investigation ramps up, serious questions remain about whether this was protected protest—or a criminal violation of federal law. What’s clear is that this isn’t going away quietly.
