Thursday, January 22, 2026- The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has sharply criticized journalist Don Lemon over his coverage of an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Demonstrators interrupted a Sunday service after confronting a pastor they believed had ties to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with Lemon livestreaming the incident as it unfolded. DOJ officials said the disruption of a place of worship may violate federal law and signaled that protesters involved could face criminal charges, framing the incident as an unlawful invasion of a protected religious space.
Lemon has pushed back forcefully, insisting he was present solely in a journalistic capacity and played no role in organizing or encouraging the protest. He argued that his reporting is protected by the First Amendment and warned against conflating coverage with participation. Press freedom advocates echoed those concerns, cautioning that threatening journalists over protest coverage could have a chilling effect on independent reporting, even as federal authorities continue reviewing the incident.
The episode has intensified a broader national debate over the boundaries between protest rights, press freedom, and the protection of religious institutions. Justice Department officials maintain that houses of worship are afforded special legal protections and that violations must be taken seriously, regardless of political context.
Civil liberties groups, however, argue that aggressive enforcement risks overreach in an already polarized climate. As the DOJ review continues, the case has become a flashpoint in ongoing tensions surrounding immigration enforcement, media scrutiny, and the limits of lawful protest.
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