DHS vows arrests after Cities Church anti‑ICE protest; parishioner now files civil suit
Federal authorities vowed arrests after the Jan. 18 anti‑ICE protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, and parishioner Ann Doucette has filed a pro se civil lawsuit alleging the disruption interfered with her free exercise of religion and caused "severe emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and trauma." The complaint names protesters and journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort — who already face federal FACE Act and KKK Act charges for entering the church — and says Lemon and Fort are being sued personally.
📌 Key Facts
- On Jan. 18, an anti‑ICE protest took place at Cities Church in St. Paul.
- Parishioner Ann Doucette has filed a pro se civil lawsuit in Minnesota District Court against the protesters and journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort over the Jan. 18 protest.
- The complaint alleges the protesters' actions interfered with Doucette’s free exercise of religion.
- The complaint says Doucette suffered "severe emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and trauma" from the disruption of the service.
- The suit names Lemon and Fort personally, on top of the existing federal FACE Act and KKK Act charges they face for entering the church during the protest.
📊 Relevant Data
In the initial phase of Operation Metro Surge in December 2025, ICE confirmed 12 arrests in the Twin Cities, consisting of 5 Somali residents, 6 Mexican residents, and 1 El Salvador resident, described by ICE as having criminal records including child sex offenses, domestic abuse, and gang involvement, though local attorneys dispute this characterization, claiming many arrestees were law-abiding with pending asylum applications.
Feds confirm 12 immigration arrests in Minneapolis operation — Sahan Journal
According to 2023 data, Somali-born immigrants in the US have an incarceration rate of 5,030 per 100,000 for males ages 18-29 who arrived ≤15 years ago, compared to 2,450 per 100,000 for U.S.-born males (roughly twofold higher) and 1,280 per 100,000 for non-Hispanic white natives (nearly four times higher).
Yes, Somali Immigrants Commit More Crime Than Natives — City Journal
Minnesota's Black poverty rate is four times higher than for Whites, largely attributed to the influx of Somali immigrants rather than historical racism against African Americans, with the Black population growing from 4.4% in 1970 to over 18% by the 2020s due to Somali resettlement facilitated by Lutheran and Catholic social service groups.
How Misreading Somali Poverty Led Minnesota into Its Largest Welfare Scandal — American Enterprise Institute
The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act prohibits the use of force, threat of force, or physical obstruction that intentionally injures, intimidates, or interferes with any person obtaining or providing reproductive health services or exercising the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship, and also prohibits intentional property damage to such facilities.
Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances & Places of Religious Worship — U.S. Department of Justice
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Parishioner Ann Doucette has filed a pro se civil lawsuit in Minnesota District Court against the protesters and journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort over the Jan. 18 anti‑ICE protest at Cities Church.
- The complaint alleges interference with Doucette’s free exercise of religion and claims she suffered 'severe emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and trauma' from the disruption of the service.
- The suit confirms Lemon and Fort are being sued personally, on top of the existing federal FACE Act and KKK Act charges they face for entering the church during the protest.