>> Continued From the Previous Page <<
The church’s lead pastor, Jonathan Parnell, spoke with Lemon directly. He called the intrusion “shameful.” “It’s shameful to see anyone interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship,” Parnell said. “I have to take care of my church and my family.”
Parnell also instructed Lemon to leave the premises if he was not there to participate in worship, reinforcing the sanctity of the space.
In a formal statement, the Justice Department said its Civil Rights Division is reviewing the incident to determine if federal laws protecting religious exercise were violated. Officials stressed that the review does not imply wrongdoing and is ongoing.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon reacted to the video by tweeting, “We are on it @CivilRights, working with the USAO in Minneapolis. This is un-American and outrageous.”
Dhillon further emphasized the legal protections afforded to houses of worship, writing: “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! Nor does the First Amendment protect your pseudo journalism of disrupting a prayer service. You are on notice!”
Attorney General Pam Bondi also weighed in, stating: “I have been in constant communication with @AAGDhillon today over these events which @TheJusticeDept is investigating at my direction. Any violation of federal law will be prosecuted.”
The protest came shortly after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good earlier this month during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Officials have said an ICE agent fired the shot during a confrontation, and the case is under a separate federal review.
Good’s death has sparked multiple demonstrations across the Twin Cities calling for accountability and reforms in federal immigration enforcement policies.
Protest organizers claimed the church was targeted because of alleged indirect ties between ICE and certain individuals associated with the congregation. They said the demonstration aimed to draw attention to ICE’s role in Good’s death and pressure institutions they believe support federal enforcement operations.
Federal authorities, however, stressed that religious institutions enjoy special protections under civil rights law, regardless of the political motivations of demonstrators. The DOJ review will specifically examine whether worshippers were intentionally blocked, intimidated, or prevented from exercising their religious freedoms.
Civil liberties advocates have criticized the federal focus on the church disruption, warning it could distract from scrutiny of federal agents’ actions in the fatal shooting. They noted that protests directed at government-connected institutions have historically played a role in civil rights activism.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Trump is closely following the situation.
“President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship,” she tweeted.
“The Department of Justice has launched a full investigation into the despicable incident that took place earlier today at a church in Minnesota,” she added, signaling federal authorities are taking decisive action.
