Don Lemon Speaks Up After Viral Anti‑ICE Protest Disrupts Church Service in Minnesota

Don Lemon defends his reporting on an anti-ICE protest at a Minneapolis church after the DOJ publicly warns him, saying he was "on notice."

A viral protest at a Minneapolis church has drawn a warning from the U.S. Justice Department and placed broadcast journalist Don Lemon under scrutiny.

The 59-year-old TV presenter filmed and shared the incident online, prompting a federal official to accuse him of overstepping constitutional boundaries.

On January 18, 2026, Lemon posted a video from a church in Minneapolis where anti-ICE activists interrupted a Sunday service. The protest targeted Pastor David Easterwood, who also serves as ICE's acting field office director in St. Paul.

Lemon shared the video on his Bluesky account with the caption, "I'm LIVE from Minneapolis right now." The footage showed demonstrators inside the church, and the clip quickly went viral across social media platforms.

Shortly after Lemon shared the video, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon responded publicly on X. She said that places of worship are legally protected from protests and cannot be treated like public spaces.

Dhillon argued that federal law prohibits disruptions during religious services and that Lemon's actions did not qualify as protected journalism under the First Amendment. She also gave him a direct warning, stating that he had been put "on notice."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Lemon defended his role. "It's notable that I've been cast as the face of a protest I was covering as a journalist — especially since I wasn't the only reporter there. That framing is telling," he said.