Attorney General Pamela Bondi on Monday announced the arrests of two additional individuals and issued a stern warning to activists following the expansion of a federal investigation into a protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Bondi named Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson and described the disruption as a “coordinated attack.” Her message was unequivocal: “If you riot in a place of worship, we WILL find you.”
If you riot in a place of worship, we WILL find you.
We have made two more arrests in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota: Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) February 2, 2026
The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges that the group conspired to “injure, intimidate, and interfere” with the religious freedom of parishioners during a January 18 service. The protest targeted the church because one of its pastors reportedly serves as an official for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem echoed Bondi’s hardline stance, asserting that there is no First Amendment right to obstruct religious practice.
The investigation has unfolded in two distinct waves. The first, on January 22, focused on alleged organizers like civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong and St. Paul School Board member Chauntyll Louisa Allen. The second wave followed a grand jury indictment on Friday, which included several activists and a high-profile media figure.
Among the most notable arrests is former CNN anchor Don Lemon. While Lemon maintains he was acting as an independent journalist, an unsealed indictment reported by The Daily Wire paints a different picture. Prosecutors allege Lemon attended a “pre-op briefing” to maintain operational secrecy and later livestreamed the “resistance” operation. The indictment claims Lemon entered the church with the first wave of agitators, allegedly intimidating congregants and physically obstructing the pastor. Lemon reportedly acknowledged on his stream that the experience was “traumatic” for worshippers, stating that “the whole point… is to disrupt.”
All defendants face federal charges under the FACE Act and 18 U.S.C. § 241 (Conspiracy Against Rights). As of Monday, the legal process is moving swiftly. Lemon, represented by attorney Abbe Lowell, is scheduled for an initial appearance in Minneapolis on February 9, along with Georgia Fort, Trahern Jeen Crews, and Jamael Lydell Lundy. Meanwhile, “Wave 1” defendants are currently contesting the seizure of personal property, citing Fourth Amendment violations.
Attorney General Bondi’s latest announcement underscores the administration’s commitment to aggressive prosecution in what it calls a coordinated attack on religious liberty.
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