Top DOJ Lawyer Warns Don Lemon of Legal Perils from Church Disruption Encounter

Taking the statements of a leadingDOJlawyer from the civil rights division, U.S. attorney general, and her second-in-command, at first glance, former CNN anchorDon Lemonperhaps in the administration’s sights, along with the group he “joined” into a St. Paul,Minnesota, church on Sunday as protesters aimed to “disrupt the usual” in demonstration against ICE, with a pastor reportedly also serving as an agency official, and an ICE officer’sfatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis.

Anti-ICE advocates stormed Cities Church on Sunday, apparently looking for David Easterwood, a pastor theyidentified as acting directorat St. Paul’s ICE office — although Easterwood was apparently not at the church — and chanting “Justice for Renee Good,” “Say her name,” “Stand up, fight back,” “ICE out,” and “David Easterwood out immediately.”

On January 7, ICE officerJonathan Ross fatally shotExcellent in an interaction captured from various perspectives and viewed by Americans throughout the nation, resulting in broad awarenessoutcry from the left and among independents, as well as a response from the Trump administration and MAGA allies referring to Good as adomestic terroristwho used her car as a weapon and whose death was considered lawful.

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While Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanchemost recently saidthe Department of Justice is “not conducting an investigation” on the officer, President Donald Trump hashas threatened in recent days to use the Insurrection Act and deploy the military, something he consideredafter former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvinmurdered George Floyd in 2020.

A livestreamed video posted by Black Lives Matter Minnesotaprior to noon on Sunday, the activists caused the service to come to a standstill and criticized the pastor who was present,identified asJonathan Parnell, along with the church members, was referred to as “false Christians.”

Inside the church as well — capturing the scene — was Lemon, who conducted an interview with Parnell.

After Parnell stated it was “shameful to disrupt a public assembly of Christians in worship,” Lemoncounteredthat there is a “Constitution and a First Amendment, as well as freedom of speech, assembly, and protest.”

“We are here to worship Jesus,” Parnell replied, alluding to his and the congregation’s First Amendment privilege.

In Lemon’s post on his Bluesky account, he can be seen outside the church talking with activist, reverend, and lawyer Nekima Levy Armstrong,a protest organizer, requesting her to “explain to us why you are doing this.”

“We arrive at a critical site—something they don’t anticipate us showing up at—and then we throw things off track,” explained Armstrong, wholeads the Racial Justice Network.She referred to the demonstration as a “secret operation” andalso”part of our responsibility as Christians” to reveal the hypocrisy of church leaders, referring to Easterwood.

Lemon separately acknowledgedthat following some “ground reconnaissance” in Minneapolis, he became aware of “Operation Pull Up,” and observed that Armstrong has been “doing this since George Floyd,”Daunte Wright, and others, where they catch people by surprise and hold them responsible.” Lemon mentioned that these were “surprise operations” and that he “cannot inform you of their destinations.”

Later in the same video, Lemon conversed with Armstrong inside the church, and she detailed the reason behind the disturbance.

We are calling for justice for Renee Good and making it clear that this situation is unacceptable. They cannot claim to be a house of God while supporting someone who is directing ICE agents to cause destruction in our community and who was responsible for Renee Good’s death,” she stated. “I am a reverend, in addition to being a lawyer and an activist, so I speak here with the strength of the Almighty God.

During a NewsNation interview”Absolutely not,” Armstrong stated in response to the question about whether the protest had gone too far.

“I won’t engage in this line of questioning with you. This is manipulation. The ones who have crossed the line are Donald Trump, Kristi Noem, JD Vance, and those in charge of ICE,” she stated.

Lemon, according to his own statement, “followedthe protesters into the church, unaware of their destination, and stated he carried out ‘an act of journalism’ from there.

“That’s the essence of protest. It’s intended to create discomfort. You might not approve of it,” he stated.

In yet another video, Lemon questioned how he ended up being the central figure in the events taking place in Minnesota. Lemon mentioned that he came to understand he was the “most well-known person there,” but his producers also reminded him, “Don, you’re a gay Black man in America.”

Senior Department of Justice officials have explicitly considered the option of examining Lemon for potential breaches of the Ku Klux Klan Act and another statute — the same legislation the Biden administration utilized to pursue charges against anti-abortion activists who obstructed abortion clinics,each of whomwas later granted a pardon by Trump.

The Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ Civil Rights Division, Harmeet Dhillon, implied as muchin an interviewwith conservative podcaster Benny Johnson on his namesake show, referencing Lemon by name while discussing at length theKKK Act — which Trump he was formally charged with breaking the lawon January 6 — and the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

The FACE Act, along with prohibiting obstruction of access to “reproductive health services,”prohibitsdeliberately harming, frightening, or disrupting, or trying to harm, frighten, or disrupt, any individual through the use of force, threat of force, or physical blocking while they are exercising or attempting to exercise their First Amendment right to religious freedom at a location dedicated to religious worship[.]

Dhillon, vowing that “we will take legal action in this case,” mentioned that she recognizes “multiple offenses that have taken place, exactly what they are I’m not going to specify, but the FACE Act has been referenced as one of the supporting factors.” She also considered conspiracy and additional charges arising from a “use of the telephone lines or postal system,” indicating a possible investigation into the protest’s leaders.

In other instances, the Biden DOJ has utilized the Klan Act conspiracy charges, which were added to the FACE Act, in cases involving protests near abortion clinics, leading to significantly longer sentences. Therefore, there are several tools at our disposal,” the AAG remarked, followed by a series of questions. “Who provided funding for this? What other offenses might have taken place? Was there any use of the telephone or mail in organizing this event? Did anyone travel across state lines to carry out this act? All of these could serve as bases for further federal charges.

Johnson then inquired further about the KKK Act, stating it was the first time he had heard it referenced following the church protest.

The Civil Rights Act is one of the most significant federal laws protecting civil rights, and it dates back to when President Lincoln freed the slaves, yet the Southern States—primarily Dixiecrats—refused to grant them equal treatment,” Dhillon said. “In reality, sheriffs and law enforcement officials were harassing the recently liberated slaves.

“So the Ku Klux Klan Act is a law that prohibits terrorizing citizens to infringe on their civil rights, and it also criminalizes gathering and conspiring to violate those rights. It has frequently been applied against law enforcement but is now also being used against others,” she said.

If three grandmothers gathered to pray outside an abortion clinic for the souls of those inside, including unborn children, the Biden administration would claim ‘That’s not just a violation of the Klan Act, it’s a conspiracy to infringe on the civil rights of women seeking abortions. Therefore, they would add more charges and escalate the punishment, changing it from a misdemeanor under the FACE Act to a felony under the Klan Act,’ Dhillon continued.

The AAG subsequently identified Lemon as a possible “member of a criminal conspiracy,” instead of a person protected by the First Amendment who “was engaged in journalism.”

This is a highly significant issue. By next Sunday, no one in the United States should believe they can escape consequences for this,” Dhillon stated, possibly implying a subtle warning about what may follow. “Everyone involved in the protest movement must understand that the full power of the federal government will be used to stop this from occurring, and individuals will face extended prison sentences.

Dhillon’s public remarks occur at a moment when prominent figures on the right have advocated for precisely what she expressed.

“Today, Don Lemon and a group of left-wing activists disrupted a church service to demonstrate against ICE. This constitutes a clear and blatant breach of the FACE Act, an law that the Biden Administration previously utilized to imprison pro-life advocates in federal prisons for many years,” conservative commentator Matt Walsh.reactedDon Lemon and his accomplices should be serving time in federal prison.

I want Don Lemon pulled from his home by a SWAT team at gunpoint. That’s what Biden did to pro-lifers,” Walsh added. “It’s time to make these scumbags follow the same rules. Give them a taste of their own medicine for once.

The White House and senior Department of Justice officials also made public statements, vowing to conduct investigations and potential legal actions.

“President Trump will not accept the intimidation and mistreatment of Christians in their places of worship. The Department of Justice has initiated a complete investigation into the abhorrent event that occurred earlier today at a church in Minnesota,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

“I recently spoke with the Pastor in Minnesota whose church was attacked. The assaults on law enforcement and the harassment of Christians are being addressed with the full power of federal law. If state officials fail to act appropriately to stop chaos, this Department of Justice will stay ready to prosecute federal offenses and ensure that the rule of law is maintained,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.added, possibly referencing the DOJ’sinvestigationto Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Gov. Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ selection as vice president in the 2024 election, forallegedly tryingto hinder ICE’s deportation effortsthrough their public criticisms.

Bondi, referencing “ongoing dialogue” with Dhillon, took responsibility for issuing the “instruction” to examine the church disturbance.

“Any breach of federal law will be pursued legally,” Bondi declared, as Blanche, Trump’s former criminal defense lawyer, shared the statement.

The post “Put people away for a long, long time”: Senior DOJ official references KKK Act as possible legal issues Don Lemon could encounter after he ‘joined’ with demonstrators causing disruption at a church first appeared on Law & Crime.