Attorney General Pam Bondi and other top administration officials said that the Justice Department is investigating an apparent disruption that occurred at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday as a potential violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
In addition to protecting clinic entrances, the FACE Act also bars interfering with the exercise of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.
A group of protesters interrupt services at the Cities Church in St. Paul by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” Jan. 18, 2026.
Speak Mpls via AP
The disruptive incident occurred at the Cities Church in St. Paul and was captured by former CNN anchor Don Lemon, who posted it to his YouTube page.
“I just spoke to the Pastor in Minnesota whose church was targeted,” Bondi said in a post on social media. “Attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law.”
Protesters accused one of the church’s pastors of leading the ICE field office in St. Paul and spoke out against ICE tactics during the protest.
Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said in an earlier post, “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.”
“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!” Dhillon said in another social media post in an apparent reference to Lemon.
A group of protesters interrupt services at the Cities Church in St. Paul by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” Jan. 18, 2026.
Speak Mpls via AP
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement put the blame on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, saying on social media that they “are responsible for whipping these mobs into a frenzy and then allowing them to run rampant.”
Walz said in an address last week, “We can, we must, protest loudly, forcefully, but also peacefully.” Frey, last week, also encouraged protesters to remain peaceful, stating, “We cannot counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own brand of chaos.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted as well, stating, “President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship. The Department of Justice has launched a full investigation into the despicable incident that took place earlier today at a church in Minnesota.”
Walz’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
St. Paul Police said officers responded to Cities Church following reports of “approximately 30 to 40 protesters who interrupted church services.” The protesters had moved outside the church by the time police arrived and officers “continued to monitor the protest,” the department said.
-ABC News’ Jack Date
