Faith leaders across the nation spoke out against heinous protests perpetrated by anti-ICE radical activists that witnessed them storming churches during times of worship, terrorizing congregants and, in many cases, their children. In addition to condemning those actions, they also called for the arrest of the individuals involved based on very clear legal law and precedent.
For context, on January 18th of 2026 multiple Minnesota churches experienced a frightening display of escalating terror when hordes of anti-ICE activists invaded their sacred spaces during their worship services. Those services were halted amidst hordes of rabidly chanting agitators. Among them was failed CNN anchor Don Lemon, who helped lead one of the invasions in a Minneapolis church. He later gushed at seeing children fleeing with their families, saying the purpose of protest was to make people uncomfortable.
In response, faith leaders and others have demanded swift accountability from the Trump administration and its Department of Justice. “Every protester in this video has committed a federal crime They can all be easily identified. Don Lemon needs to be in custody by the end of the day if the administration is to ever be taken seriously again,” conservative commentator Auron MacIntyre posted.
“Today Don Lemon and a group of leftist agitators stormed a church service to protest ICE,” Walsh wrote on X. “This is a direct and flagrant violation of the FACE Act, which the Biden Administration used to throw pro-lifers in federal prison for years. Don Lemon and his co-conspirators should be facing federal prison. The Trump Administration must announce those charges immediately,” podcaster and commentator Matt Walsh said on X.
Additionally, faith leaders across the country likewise demanded arrest under the FACE Act. “We condemn the actions of Don Lemon and the group of activists who stormed Cities Church today in St. Paul, Minnesota, in clear violation of the FACE Act. Christians everywhere should demand that the Department of Justice arrest those who participated. We must protect religious liberty in this country,” said Pastor Paul Chappell of the National Faith Advisory Board.
Another leading pastor, Travis Johnson, vehemently condemned what he witnessed, describing the horrors faced children and their families as lunatic protestors pretended they were the good guys storming and church and demanding violent and criminal illegal aliens be allowed to remain in the United States.
“Look at the bottom left corner. A child terrified as ICE Protesters targeted a church in the Twin Cities today,” Johnson said on X. “Never in America is this ok. Regardless of political affiliation we all can agree that this is wrong. Religious Liberty Matters,” he added, a not-so-subtle jab at BLM.
Johnson was not done; in a separate post, he called out what he saw as two competing visions for America. “Anti-Ice extremists storm the worship service at Cities Church in Minneapolis this morning alleging one of the church’s lead pastors is an ICE agent. There are two visions for America. One is a vision for freedom, security, commons sense, prosperity. The other is for chaos, deconstruction of the nuclear family, indecency, disrespect, lawlessness, anti-Christ, desecration, and destruction. Tim Walz and Jacob Frey have fomented and encouraged this lawlessness. The failure of the Democrat party to denounce it is agreement.”
The aforementioned FACE Act was a tool used by Joe Biden’s administration to arrest and jail pro-life Christians simply for praying outside abortion centers. The 1994 federal law makes it a crime to use force, threats, or physical obstruction to interfere with anyone…exercising religious freedom at a place of worship. With such unambiguous language, it seems clear these protestors could be facing consequences for their actions.