Don Lemon and ICE: How the Former CNN News Anchor Got Involved

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has found himself at the centre of a fierce legal and political storm involving the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The controversy stems from his decision to livestream a protest inside a church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The incident has led to threats of federal charges under historic civil rights laws, raising questions about the boundary between journalism and activism.

The situation unfolded on Sunday, 18 January 2026, at Cities Church in St. Paul. Lemon, who now operates as an independent journalist on social media platforms, was in Minnesota to report on rising tensions regarding immigration enforcement. He was specifically covering the aftermath of the death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman who was allegedly shot and killed earlier this month by an ICE agent named Jonathan Ross.

Protest at Cities Church

The link between the church and the immigration agency is the primary reason Lemon and the protesters were there. The pastor of Cities Church, David Easterwood, serves a dual role. He is a religious leader on Sundays, but during the week, he acts as the Acting Director of ICE's St. Paul Field Office. Activists have accused Easterwood of enforcing harsh deportation policies that terrorise the local immigrant community.

On the day of the incident, Lemon followed a group of demonstrators into the church building. The protesters interrupted the morning service, chanting slogans such as 'Justice for Renee Good' and 'ICE out'. Lemon filmed the disruption, broadcasting the scene to his followers. In the video, he can be heard stating that protests are often uncomfortable but are a necessary part of exercising First Amendment rights.

Threats of Federal Charges

The reaction from federal authorities was swift and severe. Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the DOJ, publicly stated that Lemon is 'on notice.' Dhillon argued that a place of worship is not a public forum for protest and is protected by specific federal laws. She rejected Lemon's claim that he was simply doing his job as a reporter.

'[Lemon] went into the facility, and then he began quote, unquote, "committing journalism," as if that's a sort of shield from being a part, an embedded part, of a criminal conspiracy. It isn't,' Dhillon said. The DOJ is considering charging Lemon and the protesters under the FACE Act, which protects religious buildings from interference, and, more surprisingly, the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871.

The Ku Klux Klan Act Explained

The potential use of the Ku Klux Klan Act has drawn significant attention. Originally passed after the American Civil War, this law was designed to stop the KKK from terrorising newly-freed slaves and preventing them from exercising their civil rights. Dhillon has argued that by conspiring to disrupt a church service, the protesters—and Lemon by extension—may have violated the civil rights of the congregation.

If charged and convicted, the penalties could be severe. President Donald Trump recently shared a social media post suggesting Lemon should serve 40 years in prison for his involvement. Other public figures, including rapper Nicki Minaj, have also attacked Lemon online, calling for his imprisonment.

Lemon's Defence

In response to the backlash, Lemon has maintained his innocence. He released a statement asserting that he had no prior affiliation with the protest group and did not know they intended to enter the sanctuary until the moment it happened. He argues that he was merely documenting a newsworthy event involving a high-ranking public official, Pastor Easterwood.

'The MAGA administration and the fake news MAGAs are losing their mind over something that's not even true,' Lemon said in a video defence. He insists that his presence was strictly professional and that threatening a journalist with prison for covering a protest sets a dangerous precedent for press freedom in the United States.