Former CNN presenter Don Lemon is under investigation for potential federal crimes after participating in a disruptive anti-immigration enforcement protest inside a Minnesota church, an act he later proudly claimed made him the event's "biggest name".
Protest Disrupts Sunday Service
The incident occurred on Sunday when a mob of demonstrators, including Lemon, entered the Cities Church in St. Paul during a service. The group targeted the church because one of its pastors, David Easterwood, also serves as the acting director of the St. Paul Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office.
Footage from the event shows Lemon confronting a pastor, asserting his actions were protected as a "First Amendment right". The protest was organised by groups including the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota, who object to Easterwood's dual role. Demonstrator Nekima Levy Armstrong told Lemon they could not allow the church to "harbor someone who is commanding ICE agents to terrorize our communities".
Legal Warning and Celebrity Backlash
On Monday, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon issued a stark warning to Lemon on social media platform X. She stated, "A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest! It is a space protected from exactly such acts by federal criminal and civil laws!" She explicitly told the ex-CNN anchor, "You are on notice!"
Dhillon confirmed her department is investigating whether Lemon and the protesters violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which protects religious freedom at places of worship. She also revealed her office is exploring charges under the Ku Klux Klan Act, a civil rights statute that prohibits conspiring to intimidate people exercising their rights.
The controversy escalated when rapper Nicki Minaj launched a homophobic tirade against Lemon on X. In a post using a homophobic slur, she wrote, "DON 'C**K SUCKIN' LEMON IS DISGUSTING... I WANT THAT THUG IN JAIL!!!!!" Minaj, who recently expressed support for Donald Trump at a conservative conference, demanded Lemon be locked up. Lemon dismissed her comments to TMZ, saying he was "not surprised Nicki Minaj does not understand journalism".
Lemon's Boastful Response
Facing widespread criticism, Lemon discussed the incident on the 'I've Had It' podcast. After initially questioning why he had become "the face of it", he conceded, "I do understand that, I was the biggest name there". He claimed his producers told him he was singled out because he is a "gay, black man in America" with a platform, and it played to a base "full of racist, bigoted homophobes".
Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023, defended his presence as an "act of journalism" and stated protests are not meant to be comfortable. His husband, Tim Malone, declined to comment when contacted about the potential criminal charges. The Daily Mail also reached out to Lemon for comment.
The pastor at the centre of the protest, David Easterwood, had appeared alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in October, speaking proudly of leading immigration enforcement in the area. His role had previously sparked a lawsuit from a local protester alleging excessive force by ICE agents.
