Nicki Minaj Pushes for Don Lemon’s Jail Sentence as DOJ Probe Hits Church

A collision of immigration enforcement, religious protest, and celebrity outrage has exposed America’s fractured debates over faith and dissent. The Justice Department launched a sweeping investigation into demonstrators who disrupted a Minnesota Sunday service on January 18, less than two weeks after ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis.

On January 7, Good dropped her six-year-old son at school when ICE agents approached her Honda Pilot on a residential street. Ross attempted to open her driver’s side door; Good reversed, then drove forward as Ross fired multiple shots through the windshield and driver’s side window. Emergency responders found Good unresponsive with two gunshot wounds to her right chest, one to her left forearm, and a wound to her head. She was pronounced dead at 10:30 a.m.

Grassroots Mobilization Targets Church

The shooting ignited immediate action across Minnesota’s Twin Cities. Civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong organized demonstrators seeking accountability, alleging immigration enforcement violated First and Fourth Amendment rights. Protesters alleged David Easterwood—listed as a pastor at Cities Church—also serves as acting ICE field office director in St. Paul. Multiple outlets confirmed a person named David Easterwood holds both roles, though definitive identity verification between the pastor and ICE official remains based primarily on social media facial comparisons.

On January 18, approximately 30 to 40 demonstrators entered Cities Church during Sunday worship, chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good”. Video shows protesters confronting Lead Pastor Jonathan Parnell, who told them: “This is unacceptable. It’s shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship”. By the time police arrived, the group had moved outside.

Lemon’s Coverage Draws Fire

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon livestreamed nearly seven hours of coverage from inside the church, interviewing demonstrators and leadership. Lemon stated: “This is what the First Amendment is about, the freedom to protest,” noting “protests are not comfortable”. He posted clips on YouTube showing the disruption in real time, framing the protest as a constitutional exercise.​

Late Sunday evening, rapper Nicki Minaj responded on X with an all-caps tirade using a homophobic slur: “DON ‘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!!!!!” She accompanied the post with an image of horror character Chucky. The 43-year-old rapper’s attack drew immediate condemnation, particularly given that Lemon, 59, is openly gay and married.

Lemon responded to TMZ on Monday: “I’m not surprised Nicki Minaj does not understand journalism and is weighing in on matters that are above her capacity. However, the more appropriate image for her post is a ‘Pick Me’ Doll”. On TikTok, Lemon escalated, calling Minaj “a homophobic bigot” and telling her to “grow some brains”.

Rather than back down, Minaj posted again on Monday with an image of Chucky giving the middle finger, writing: “I intentionally wrote it that way because I knew it would be the only way to get the attention of those who would otherwise ignore the appalling behavior exhibited by Lemon”.

Federal Investigation Unfolds

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced a Justice Department investigation into the church protest under the FACE Act, a 1994 law that prohibits the use of force or intimidation to obstruct religious worship. Dhillon posted on X: “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! You are on notice!”

During a podcast interview with Benny Johnson, Dhillon explicitly called out Lemon, asserting that journalism does not shield participation in what she termed a “criminal conspiracy”. She stated: “By next Sunday, no one should assume in the United States that they will escape accountability for this”.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship”. Attorney General Pam Bondi escalated the federal response: “If state leaders refuse to act responsibly to prevent lawlessness, this Department of Justice will remain mobilized to prosecute federal crimes.”

Political Transformation

The feud reflects Minaj’s dramatic political shift. On December 21, she appeared at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, telling the crowd: “I have the utmost respect and admiration for our president”. This marks a stark reversal from 2018, when Minaj condemned Trump’s immigration policies after writing: “I came to this country as an illegal immigrant @ 5 years old”.​

Minaj deactivated her Instagram account in October 2025, months before her December conservative turn. Multiple Change.org petitions calling for her deportation to Trinidad accumulated over 100,000 signatures by early January. Despite public pressure, deportation petitions are legally moot—while Minaj immigrated illegally at age five, she holds a green card, granting permanent resident status. Green card holders cannot be deported for political speech, per the ACLU.