Federal authorities in the United States have intensified their crackdown on participants of a controversial protest at a Minnesota church, announcing further arrests on Friday. The demonstration, which occurred in January at Cities Church in St Paul, was organized to highlight the dual role of a pastor who allegedly served as acting field director for the local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office.
Expanded Charges and Arrests
Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that the Justice Department unsealed an indictment charging 30 additional individuals for their alleged involvement in the protest. Of these, federal agents have already apprehended 25, with Bondi warning that "more to come." This latest development brings the total number of people charged to 39, following earlier arrests of organizers and journalists.
"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. This Department of Justice STANDS for Christians and all Americans of faith," Bondi declared in a post on the social media platform X.
Journalists and Community Response
Among those previously charged were two independent journalists, Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, who maintain they were covering the event as reporters rather than participating. On Friday, Brixton Hughes, identified by civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong as an independent journalist, was also arrested, posting "Feds at my door" on Facebook.
Levy Armstrong, who was charged earlier over the demonstration, reported on Facebook that the additional arrests occurred Friday morning, with hearings scheduled for the same day. She called on community members to show support for those charged.
Background of the Protest
The protest took place on 18 January, when demonstrators disrupted a service at Cities Church to draw attention to Pastor David Easterwood, who was allegedly serving as acting field director of the St Paul ICE office. This action followed the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, amid widespread immigration enforcement operations in the Twin Cities metro area.
In a local publication, Levy Armstrong explained the protest's purpose: "We thought congregants would want to know they have a pastor in their church doubling as the director for the ICE field office in Minnesota. The core of the gospel message is to love thy neighbor as you love yourself. And ICE has been doing the opposite of that: terrorizing our neighbors, brutalizing people, and even murdering people."
Legal and Political Repercussions
The Trump administration and Republican officials have condemned the protest, with charges being filed against those involved. "Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP," Bondi reiterated in an earlier post on X.
Additionally, a church member filed a federal lawsuit against those charged by the government, as reported by NBC News on Thursday. The lawsuit claims that "the worship service was disrupted, congregants experienced fear and distress, and plaintiff’s ability to freely exercise her religion in a private place of worship was unlawfully interfered with."
This case highlights ongoing tensions between immigration enforcement actions and civil liberties, with federal authorities taking a firm stance against protests deemed to violate religious spaces. The situation continues to evolve as more arrests are anticipated, underscoring the broader national debate over immigration policies and protest rights.
