MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The protest against immigration enforcement at a Minnesota church resulted in two more arrests, as announced by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday, bringing the total number of arrests to nine.
The individuals arrested were identified in a grand jury indictment unsealed on Friday. The protest, which took place on January 18 at Cities Church in St. Paul, has seen notable figures like independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort among those detained. A leading activist, Nekima Levy Armstrong, was also among the first arrests.
All nine individuals face serious federal civil rights charges of conspiracy and infringing on the First Amendment rights of the church’s worshippers, particularly since the church is linked to an ICE official. The demonstration captured significant attention and criticism from the Trump administration.
On Monday, Bondi disclosed the names of the latest two arrests: Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson, although no further specifics regarding their arrests were provided.
Don Lemon, who was dismissed from CNN earlier this year, emphasized that he did not support the group disrupting the church service, describing himself instead as an independent journalist reporting on the demonstrations.
Austin reportedly joined Richardson to the church, where they were involved in chants demanding ICE removal from the premises, spurred by the recent tragic death of Renee Good, a mother of three shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
Cities Church, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, has David Easterwood listed as one of its pastors and he leads the St. Paul field office for ICE.
