DOJ civil rights chief blasts Don Lemon as she vows charges against anti-ICE protesters who interrupted church service

[Eugene]

Source: NBC News

DOJ civil rights chief blasts Don Lemon as she vows charges against anti-ICE protesters who interrupted church service

Harmeet Dhillon said that "nobody should think in the United States that they're going to be able to get away with this" after anti-ICE protesters halted Sunday service at a St. Paul church.

Jan. 19, 2026, 2:24 PM EST
By Megan Lebowitz

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department "will pursue charges" related to a protest inside a St. Paul church, Harmeet Dhillon, the department's assistant attorney general for civil rights, said in an interview Monday while specifically calling out ex-CNN journalist Don Lemon for his coverage of the event.

Speaking to conservative influencer Benny Johnson, Dhillon said journalism is not a "shield" from a "criminal conspiracy."

"Don Lemon himself has come out and said he knew exactly what was going to happen inside that facility," Dhillon said on “The Benny Show.” "He went into the facility, and then he began — quote, unquote — 'committing journalism,' as if that’s sort of a shield from being a part, an embedded part, of a criminal conspiracy. It isn’t."

Dhillon did not confirm whether the Justice Department would pursue charges against Lemon in particular. NBC News has reached out to the Justice Department and the place of worship, Cities Church, for comment.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/dhillon-don-lemon-anti-ice-protest-church-doj-charges-renee-good-rcna254815

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[AZJonnie]

1. The crowd probably should've stayed outside, holding signs, reasonably quietly during services

As much as I disapprove of the undue imprimatur that 'religion' as a whole thinks its entitled to, disrupting services is not a good look for our side

[rampartd]

7. +1

"do unto others ...."

[Torchlight]

2. Shame she lacked that same courage and Johnny-on-the-Spot moves

when the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting happened and children died.

That was a bad look. Protests on the other hand are inconvenient to meritless narratives.

[crud]

3. I watched the podcast

and, no one was hurt. The protesters disrupted the service with chanting. Lemon was with them from the pre-action talk to the protest. He was asked to not divulge the target of the protest because it was to be a surprise action. I could tell that he was a little uncomfortable with the protest and kept emphasizing that he was there as a reporter. He interviewed the parishioners and pastor, they weren't happy, some supported the protests, but not in their church. The pastor evaded questions about one of the church pastors working for ICE. The cops showed up but no arrests. I don't think there were any laws broken. Afterwords he interviewed the organizer and she was very clear in their purpose, they wanted the church to clean up their act. She is a lawyer, a pastor and has been a community activist since the George Floyd murder.

[crud]

6. Here is a video from Don Lemon

https://www.thedailybeast.com/don-lemon-bites-back-at-maga-after-anti-ice-confrontation/

[Historic NY]

4. Ice has raided into churches.

https://peoplesworld.org/article/ice-now-grabbing-people-out-of-churches/
https://www.wpr.org/news/milwaukee-lutheran-church-sues-trump-ice-raids-houses-worship

https://democracyforward.org/news/press-releases/houses-of-worship/

[MichMan]

5. "This is what the First Amendment is about, about the freedom to protest," Lemon said in his YouTube channel video.

Lemon is wrong. You don't have the right to protest on private property.

[bluestarone]

8. Well, i have to ask here can you protest if you ARE A MEMBER giving offerings to that church?

I feel YOU CAN.

[Dumpy]

10. You can up to the point that the leadership of the church ask the protester to leave.

This is not the winning optic that some people think it is. I hope this isn't shown on media that bible thumpers watch.

[maxsolomon]

11. It's being shown there 24/7

Never miss an opportunity to make Christians feel persecuted.

[bluestarone]

9. Don Lemon will be put on leave and fired. (that's what i'm thinking)

Just for doing his job! These fuckers are out for BLOOD! I wish him all the luck. I'm 100% in his corner!

[PragmaticLiberal]

12. Don Lemon works for himself (independent journalist).

He's fine in that regard.

[bluestarone]

13. I'm behind in my times. I guess i lost track of this.

TY. I like Don Lemon!