Nicki Minaj’s fiery condemnation of former CNN anchor Don Lemon lit up social media this week after a stunning and chaotic scene unfolded at Cities Church in Minneapolis. According to video posted by Lemon himself, he was embedded with a group of anti-ICE activists who stormed the church during Sunday worship, chanting “Hands up, don’t shoot” and “ICE out” in what quickly devolved into a volatile protest inside a house of worship. Lemon’s nearly seven-hour video, filmed documentary-style, shows him following the protest group from pre-dawn planning to the moment they entered the church mid-sermon.
DON ‘COCK SUCKIN’ LEMON IS DISGUSTING.
HOW DARE YOU?
I WANT THAT THUG IN JAIL!!!!!
HE WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO ANY OTHER RELIGION.
LOCK HIM UP!!!!! pic.twitter.com/xoQBl9KDJY
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) January 19, 2026
The backlash was immediate and fierce, with Grammy-winner Nicki Minaj among the first celebrities to speak out. On X, she tore into Lemon in all caps:
“DON ‘COCK SUCKIN’ LEMON IS DISGUSTING. HOW DARE YOU? I WANT THAT THUG IN JAIL!!!!! HE WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO ANY OTHER RELIGION. LOCK HIM UP!!!!!”
The language was as explicit as it was unapologetic — and it captured the fury felt by many who saw the incident not as journalism but as targeted harassment against Christians.
The legal response was just as swift. Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, confirmed that the Department of Justice is now reviewing whether Lemon or the protest group violated the FACE Act — a federal statute designed to protect both reproductive health clinics and religious institutions from harassment, intimidation, or interference.
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
The FACE Act is rarely enforced in cases like this, but the legal threshold isn’t as high as many assume. If federal prosecutors believe Lemon’s presence helped enable or amplify the disruption — even if he didn’t physically join the chants — he could find himself facing charges. Dhillon also noted that DOJ officials are weighing whether Lemon himself could be personally charged for his embedded involvement.
Lemon, for his part, is pushing back hard. He claims he was merely documenting the protest and never encouraged or participated in the disruption. But his decision to mock Minaj and call for her deportation — an ironic twist given his years spent promoting progressive causes — has only deepened the controversy.
Don Lemon is calling for the deportation of Nicki Minaj, claiming she is undocumented and alleging her husband is a pedophile.
He further claims that Minaj has multiple family members who are s*x offenders.
Lemon is demanding Black and gay people to immediately cancel her. pic.twitter.com/Eft3W9Nl1J
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) January 19, 2026
And in all of this, the facts are hard to ignore: A major news personality, previously dismissed by CNN for repeated controversies, is now caught on video inside a church amid what church leaders described as a “desecration” of sacred space. Pastor Jonathan Parnell minced no words, calling the act a blatant violation of religious freedom and a disruption of peaceful assembly.
