US charges 30 more in anti-ICE protest at Minnesota church - Premier Christian News
The U.S. Justice Department has charged 30 additional people in connection with a January 18 protest that disrupted a church service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, bringing the total number of defendants to 39. All are charged with conspiracy against the right of religious worship and obstructing access to a house of worship, with Attorney General Pam Bondi stating that 25 had already been arrested. The protest, which included former CNN anchor Don Lemon among the original nine defendants, targeted the church because organizers believed a senior pastor was an ICE official, and took place amid a broader federal immigration enforcement operation in the region. Several defendants, including Lemon, have pleaded not guilty and argue the charges are politically motivated and violate First Amendment rights.
The US Justice Department on Friday charged 30 more people accused of disrupting a Minnesota church service last month in protest of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operation.
The indictment vastly increases the scope of a criminal case that already included former CNN anchor Don Lemon, one of nine people initially charged. All 39 defendants are charged with conspiracy against the right of religious worship and violating a law that forbids obstructing access to houses of worship.
"At my direction, federal agents have already arrested 25 of them, with more to come throughout the day," U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media. "YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP. If you do so, you cannot hide from us — we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you."
Lemon and several others previously charged have pleaded not guilty. Lemon, now an independent journalist who livestreamed the demonstration, has argued the charges violate his free press rights under the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Lemon and other defendants have argued they are being targeted for opposing the Trump administration's immigration policies.
The 18th January protest at Cities Church in St. Paul drew widespread attention as the Trump administration deployed large numbers of federal agents to the region in an immigration crackdown that spurred protests and led to the killing of two US citizens by immigration agents.
Protest organizers have said they picked the church because they believed a senior pastor there was an official with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Justice Department has moved aggressively to charge people involved with the demonstration, even after a federal judge initially declined to sign off on the arrests of several defendants. The indictment accuses the demonstrators of organizing a "coordinated takeover-style attack" on the church.
Video footage showed demonstrators interrupting the service by shouting anti-ICE slogans and confronting some congregants, prompting many to flee.
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