Feds Indict 30 More People In MN Anti-ICE Church Protest

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday indicted 30 additional people in connection with a January protest at a St. Paul church over federal immigration enforcement operations in the Twin Cities.

In a statement shared on X, Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the indictment, adding that federal agents have already arrested 25 of the individuals, with "more to come throughout the day."

Nine others, including former CNN journalist Don Lemon, were previously charged under the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which prohibits interference or intimidation of “any person by force, threat of force, or physical obstruction exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.”

It's still unclear what charges the new group will face. An indictment obtained by The Associated Press said the “agitators” entered the church in a “coordinated takeover-style attack” and engaged in acts of intimidation and obstruction.

"YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP," Bondi wrote on X. "If you do so, you cannot hide from us — we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you."

Protestors entered Cities Church on Jan. 18 because one of its pastors was serving as the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s field office in St. Paul. Protesters interrupted the church service by chanting "ICE out."

The church protest drew sharp complaints from conservative religious and political leaders. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned in a social media post: “President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship.” Even clergy who oppose the administration's immigration enforcement tactics expressed discomfort.

In addition to Lemon, the Justice Department charged journalist Georgia Fort and prominent local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, who was the subject of a doctored photo posted by the White House showing her crying during her arrest. All have pleaded not guilty to civil rights charges.

“For more than 30 years, I’ve been a journalist, and the power and protection of the First Amendment has been the underpinning of my work,” Lemon said outside the courthouse after his arraignment. “The First Amendment, the freedom of the press, are the bedrock of our democracy.”

A lawyer for Cities Church praised the Justice Department for charging more people.

“The First Amendment does not give anyone — regardless of profession, prominence, or politics — license to storm a church and intimidate, threaten, and terrorize families and children worshipping inside,” Doug Wardlow said in a statement.

The church protest came amid a tense couple of months for Minnesota, where the Trump administration sent thousands of federal officers for Operation Metro Surge after a series of government fraud cases where the majority of defendants had Somali roots. Federal officers frequently deployed tear gas for crowd control in neighborhood clashes with activists, often detaining them along with immigrants.

On Jan. 7, a federal officer shot and killed 37-year-old mother Renee Good in south Minneapolis. In another fatal shooting one week after the church protest, a federal officer killed 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti.

Nationwide demonstrations erupted in response, followed by a change in Operation Metro Surge’s leadership and the eventual wind-down of the immigration enforcement operation in mid-February.

Since then, the Twin Cities have grappled with the impact to communities and the local economy. The city of Minneapolis said it suffered an impact of $203.1 million due to the operation, with tens of thousands of residents in need of urgent relief assistance.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.