A Sunday worship service in St. Paul, Minnesota, became the latest flashpoint in the intensifying conflict between anti-ICE activists and federal immigration enforcement, after a group of protesters stormed Cities Church, a Southern Baptist Convention–affiliated congregation, interrupting the service and confronting churchgoers. Video from the scene shows demonstrators entering the sanctuary and shouting slogans, transforming what congregants expected to be a routine service into a politically charged disruption.
NEW: Don Lemon blames the organizer of the group who stormed the MN church after the DOJ launched an investigation into the incident.
Lemon, who uploaded a video of himself defending the mob from inside the church, says he was simply engaged in "an act of journalism."
"Why… pic.twitter.com/t0Fi2SGLiZ
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 19, 2026
The incident drew additional attention because former CNN host Don Lemon was present and actively filming the protest. Lemon, who now hosts an independent program on YouTube, narrated the events in real time and framed the disruption as a legitimate form of protest. In the footage, he repeatedly praised the activists, likening their tactics to those used during the civil rights movement. As protesters shouted slogans such as “hands up, don’t shoot” toward churchgoers—a phrase associated with the widely debunked Michael Brown narrative—Lemon characterized the outburst as a natural response to alleged constitutional violations by immigration authorities.
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
During the disruption, Lemon asserted that interrupting a church service constituted a “First Amendment right,” suggesting that protesters were justified in using the sanctuary as a venue for political expression. His comments appeared to endorse the idea that houses of worship are not exempt from protest activity, a position that immediately raised questions about the balance between free speech and religious liberty. One individual participating in the protest, who uses the TikTok handle “dawokefarmer,” was captured on video threatening church attendees while labeling them “fake Christians” and “comfortable white people.”
NEW: Completely unhinged liberal lunatic starts screaming at Christians trying to worship at a church in Minnesota.
“As you can see, all these pretend Christians, all these comfortable white people who are living lavish, comfortable lives…”
“Touch me again and see what… pic.twitter.com/jUCi2HYTVH
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 18, 2026
The protest was fueled by claims circulating online that one of the church’s lead pastors, David Easterwood, is affiliated with ICE. Activists alleged that Easterwood serves as the Acting Field Office Director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in St. Paul and described the church disruption as a “clandestine” mission intended to confront him directly.
Those allegations spread rapidly across social media platforms, including X and Facebook, amid heightened speculation about the presence of ICE agents in local communities. As of this report, no evidence has been presented to substantiate the claim that the pastor and the ICE official are the same individual.
While the exact organizations involved in the protest remain unclear, the disruption follows a series of increasingly aggressive demonstrations by local anti-ICE groups in Minneapolis.