Don Lemon, the former CNN anchor who now runs his own show online, faces a new legal challenge after a woman named Ann Doucette from St. Paul, Minnesota, filed a civil lawsuit against him and several others.
This stems from a protest that took place inside Cities Church on January 18, 2026. The protest happened because protesters believed the church pastor held a position with ICE, the immigration enforcement agency.
They entered during a Sunday worship service, chanting slogans against ICE and disrupting the gathering. People inside, including families with children, felt scared and upset by the sudden chaos.
Doucette says she suffered severe emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and trauma from what occurred.
In her lawsuit, she claims the actions interfered with her First Amendment right to practice her religion freely in a place meant for worship.
She accuses the group of civil conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, trespassing, and aiding each other in the disruption.
The suit names Lemon along with activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, journalists like Georgia Fort, and others such as Will Kelly, Jerome Richardson, Trahern Crews, Jamael Lundy, and St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Allen.
Lemon was there, livestreaming the event for his show. Doucette points out that he seemed to note the fear among congregants and appeared satisfied with how things unfolded while broadcasting to his audience.
In fact, she argues that his presence and coverage added to the intimidation.
This civil case comes after federal criminal charges. Lemon and eight others faced accusations of conspiracy to interfere with religious freedom and violating laws that protect access to places of worship.
Lemon pleaded not guilty, insisting he acted only as a journalist covering a newsworthy story, not as a participant in the protest. He has said the charges threaten press freedom and that he will fight them.
The Department of Justice, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, has pushed forward aggressively. Bondi stated publicly that attacking a house of worship cannot be tolerated and promised more prosecutions.
Recently, they charged 30 additional people connected to the same protest, bringing the total much higher, with many already arrested.
Some video analysis from Lemon’s own livestream has been used to counter claims that he directly violated rights, but the lawsuits and charges continue.
Doucette filed her suit without a lawyer, and some defendants have denied the allegations while expressing empathy for those affected.
The whole situation ties into broader tensions over immigration policies under the current administration, including enforcement actions and protests in response.
For Lemon, who left CNN a few years back amid his own controversies, this adds another layer to his post-network career. The civil suit seeks damages for the harm claimed, though no specific amount has been detailed publicly yet.
Church leaders have spoken out about protecting their members from harassment. Meanwhile, supporters of the protesters argue the action was necessary to highlight issues with ICE’s presence in community spaces.
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