Anti-ICE radicals stormed a Minnesota church during Sunday worship. Still, President Trump’s DOJ just dropped the hammer with 30 more felony charges, proving houses of worship will no longer tolerate leftist disruptions.
Story Highlights
- DOJ unsealed superseding indictment on February 27, 2026, charging 30 additional defendants—totaling 39—for conspiring to interfere with religious rights at Cities Church in St. Paul.
- High-profile journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort are among those facing felony conspiracy and FACE Act misdemeanor charges for the January 18 church takeover.
- AG Pam Bondi vows to prosecute anyone attacking worship: “We will find you, arrest you, and hold you accountable,” sending a clear message under Trump leadership.
- Protesters coordinated waves to occupy aisles and chant during service, targeting the pastor serving as acting ICE director amid outrage over the shooting of Renee Good.
- First-ever use of FACE Act against church disruptors underscores Trump administration’s commitment to shielding faith from anti-enforcement mobs.
Church Disruption Details
On January 18, dozens of anti-ICE protesters executed a coordinated “pre-operational briefing” at a nearby shopping center before invading Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
They entered in two waves during the Sunday service, occupied aisles, and chanted slogans protesting a pastor’s role as acting director of the St. Paul ICE field office.
The action referenced the early January fatal shooting of Renee Good by a federal agent in Minneapolis, which ignited local fury against immigration enforcement.
Congregants faced intimidation as worship halted amid the chaos. This marked a direct assault on religious exercise, core to American freedoms long eroded by unchecked activism.
DOJ Charges and Arrests
The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a superseding indictment on February 27, 2026, adding 30 defendants to the original nine, bringing the total to 39.
All face felony conspiracy to interfere with religious rights and misdemeanor violations of the FACE Act for intimidating churchgoers.
Defendants include former CNN anchor Don Lemon, reporter Georgia Fort, and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong. A magistrate judge previously rejected arrest warrants for some, citing insufficient probable cause, but a grand jury advanced the case.
By day’s end, 25-26 of the new defendants from Minnesota, North Dakota, and New York faced arrest, with 21 making initial court appearances in St. Paul federal court.
Trump Administration’s Firm Response
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the charges, declaring on X: “YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP… we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you.”
Doug Wardlow of True North Legal, representing Cities Church, stated the indictment delivers a “clear message” that houses of worship remain off-limits. The Trump administration frames this as defending religious liberty against coordinated attacks tied to anti-ICE agendas. The original nine defendants, including Lemon, had pleaded not guilty earlier in February.
More arrests remain pending as the case proceeds in the U.S. District Court, Minnesota. This action restores order after years of Biden-era tolerance for border chaos and open hostility to faith communities supporting law enforcement.
Protesters claim their disruption highlighted ICE actions, but evidence of planning and intimidation overrides First Amendment defenses. Churches with ICE ties now have a precedent of federal protection.
DOJ charging 30 more people for roles in anti-ICE protest at Minnesota church https://t.co/1R95ApL8PI
— CBSColorado (@CBSNewsColorado) March 1, 2026
FACE Act’s Historic Application
The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, enacted in 1994 to shield reproductive clinics via interstate commerce ties, sees its first use against church protesters.
No prior DOJ prosecutions targeted houses of worship. Critics argue it misapplies to private actions, as the First Amendment guards religious freedom primarily from government interference.
Defense attorneys predict possible dismissal and seek grand jury transcripts, alleging political motivations after warrant rejections. Yet the prosecution describes a deliberate “coordinated takeover attack,” chilling similar disruptions in the short term while testing legal boundaries in the long term.
Sources:
DOJ charging 30 more people for roles in anti-ICE protest at Minnesota church
30 people charged connection Minnesota church incident DOJ
DOJ charges 30 more for Minnesota church protest
