❓WHAT HAPPENED: A group of far-left extremist activists, accompanied by ex-CNN host Don Lemon, disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, as part of a protest called “Operation Pullup.”
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Activists led by Nekima Levy-Armstrong, Don Lemon, Cities Church congregants, and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Sunday, January 18, at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
💬KEY QUOTE: “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” – Harmeet Dhillon
🎯IMPACT: The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into potential violations of the FACE Act, with Don Lemon possibly being a target.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened an investigation into a protest that disrupted a Sunday worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, after leftist extremist activists entered the sanctuary and halted the service for roughly 30 minutes. The demonstration was led by activist Nekima Levy-Armstrong and organized by the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota under the name “Operation Pullup.” Disgraced former CNN host Don Lemon accompanied the group, embedded with the protesters, and conducted interviews during the disruption. Congregants were forced to flee as the unrest unfolded inside the church.
Lemon defended the extremists by comparing their tactics to those used during the civil rights movement and argued that the First Amendment protects such actions. “There is nothing in the Constitution that tells you what time you can protest. You can protest at any time,” he said.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said the incident is being reviewed for potential violations of the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which also protects access to religious worship. Dhillon said, “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.”
The protest targeted Cities Church because activists allege that one of its pastors works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Levy-Armstrong said, “They cannot pretend to be a house of God while harboring someone who is directing ICE agents to wreak havoc upon our community.” The church’s lead pastor, Jonathan Parnell, who is not the pastor accused of working for ICE, confronted Lemon during the protest and condemned the disruption, saying, “It’s shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship.”
The incident has drawn national attention. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned the protest and said President Donald J. Trump will not tolerate harassment of Christians in their places of worship.
BREAKING: Anti-ICE mob storms church in St. Paul, MN and shuts service down pic.twitter.com/PgYkWTuO3g
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 18, 2026
The disruption comes amid a broader rise in hostility toward churches across the United States. Recent data has shown a sharp increase in attacks on American churches, including vandalism, arson, and intimidation, raising concerns among religious liberty advocates about the safety of worshippers.
Minnesota has also been the site of heightened unrest tied to immigration enforcement and law enforcement activity. Following a recent ICE-related shooting in Minneapolis, President Trump blamed the “radical left” for subsequent attacks on law enforcement and warned that continued instability could prompt extraordinary federal measures. Earlier this month, Trump said he was considering invoking the Insurrection Act in response to ongoing unrest in the state.
NEW: Don Lemon tries lecturing a pastor on the First Amendment after a mob of far leftists stormed a church in Minneapolis.
Pastor: “This is unacceptable. It’s shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship…”
Lemon: “Listen, there’s a constitution, the First… pic.twitter.com/joHdCvaXe6
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 18, 2026
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