ST. PAUL, Minnesota (LifeSiteNews) — The Trump administration Department of Justice (DOJ) has vowed to investigate alleged FACE Act violations by an unruly leftist mob – including former CNN journalist and open homosexual Don Lemon and others – that stormed a Southern Baptist church during a worship service on Sunday.
“They were screaming and chanting, disrupting the singing and the preaching because they suspected an ICE officer may attend the church,” said David Eastwood, senior pastor of Cities Church.
“This is a violation of what is known as the FACE Act,” he added. “Tonight I want to demand that the Department of Justice investigate what took place in Minneapolis, apprehend those who broke the law, and arrest them accordingly.”
“We must protect religious liberty in this country.”
The church invasion followed weeks of civil unrest, violence, and death in the Twin Cities as leftists have sought to prevent ICE agents from apprehending persons illegally residing in the U.S.
“We are all over it,” announced Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon. “We are investigating potential criminal violations of federal law.”
“The DOJ Civil Rights Division is investigating the potential violations of the federal FACE Act by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers,” said Dhillon.
The @CivilRights is investigating the potential violations of the federal FACE Act by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers. @AGPamBondi https://t.co/uZBBv1iuuH
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) January 18, 2026
Dhillon called the mob action “infuriating conduct.”
“Imagine if this happened at your house of worship! Demonic and godless behavior and also appears facially illegal,” she declared.
Infuriating conduct. Imagine if this happened at your house of worship! Demonic and godless behavior and also appears facially illegal. https://t.co/l403FOxh41
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@HarmeetKDhillon) January 18, 2026
“I just spoke to the Pastor in Minnesota whose church was targeted. Attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“If state leaders refuse to act responsibly to prevent lawlessness, this Department of Justice will remain mobilized to prosecute federal crimes and ensure that the rule of law prevails,” said Bondi.
Christian commentator Todd Starnes called the invaders “godless thugs.”
“This was nothing less than the desecration of Christian worship,” said Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS).
SBTS professor Andrew Walker said the service’s disruption was “utterly despicable.”
BREAKING: DOJ Announces Intention to Charge Don Lemon under the Ku Klux Klan Act.
The KKK Act makes it illegal to threaten, hurt, or intimidate people to prevent them from exercising their God-given rights.
HARMEET DHILLON: “The Klan Act is one of the most important federal… pic.twitter.com/GWnXAMtWc9
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 19, 2026
Catholic Princeton Professor Robert P. George called the mob’s action “an abomination.”
“This is a normal Baptist Church. They worship Jesus. They love each other. They seek the good of their neighbors,” explained Joe Rigney, an associate Baptist pastor and current theology fellow at New Saint Andrews, who helped found the church where the disruption occurred and served as a pastor there for eight years.
“The Left hates them and wants to shut them down, because one of their pastors serves his country in law enforcement, putting his life on the line to remove rapists and violent criminal illegal immigrants from our streets,” said Rigney.
“The Democrats are the party of lawlessness, of cultural decay, social disorder, and death. It’s time for Christian boldness – for courage and clarity about Jesus and sin,” he added.
“And it’s time for our governing officials to fulfill their mandate and become a terror to evil conduct. They do not bear the sword in vain. That’s what our nation needs.”
