The Trump administration’s Justice Department just charged 30 more people in connection with an anti-ICE church disruption, marking an unprecedented use of federal law to protect houses of worship from leftist activists who stormed a Sunday service to protest immigration enforcement.
Story Highlights
- DOJ charges 30 additional defendants, bringing the total to 39, including former CNN journalist Don Lemon, for disrupting a church service
- First-ever use of FACE Act to prosecute interference at a house of worship instead of abortion clinics, raising constitutional questions
- The magistrate judge previously rejected arrest warrants for lack of probable cause before the grand jury indictment proceeded
- Attorney General Pam Bondi declares zero tolerance for attacks on religious institutions as protesters face felony conspiracy charges
Unprecedented Federal Prosecution of Church Protest
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that federal prosecutors charged 30 additional people in connection with a January 18, 2026, anti-ICE protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The superseding indictment brings the total number of defendants to 39, including former CNN anchor Don Lemon and reporter Georgia Fort. All face two federal charges: conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom and attempt to injure while exercising religious freedom under the FACE Act.
Bondi emphasized the administration’s commitment to protecting houses of worship, stating: “YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP. If you do so, you cannot hide from us.”
Anti-ICE Activists Disrupt Sunday Worship Service
Anti-immigration-enforcement protesters entered Cities Church during Sunday services, allegedly targeting the church because one of its pastors serves as the acting director of the St. Paul ICE field office.
The protesters framed their disruption as a response to the fatal shooting of Renee Good by a federal agent in Minneapolis earlier that month. The Trump administration characterizes the incident as an “attack” on the church, while the defendants describe it as a peaceful protest.
Doug Wardlow, attorney for Cities Church, supports the prosecution, arguing that the indictment sends a clear message that houses of worship are off-limits to political intimidation.
FACE Act Applied to Church for First Time in History
The charges represent a dramatic departure from three decades of legal precedent. Congress passed the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act in 1994 to address threats at reproductive health clinics, and the Justice Department has exclusively used it to prosecute interference with access to medical care at such facilities.
Courts have supported this application because interfering with clinic access impacts interstate commerce. The DOJ has never before used the FACE Act to prosecute alleged interference at a house of worship.
This expansion of the statute’s reach raises fundamental questions about whether federal civil rights law properly applies to disruptions of religious services by private individuals.
Judicial Skepticism and Constitutional Concerns
Before the grand jury indictment, a magistrate judge rejected five arrest warrants, including those against journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, for lack of probable cause.
The same judge also rejected FACE Act charges against several other defendants on identical grounds. Despite this judicial skepticism, the government presented the case to a grand jury, which returned indictments against all defendants.
Former Justice Department civil rights attorneys identify significant constitutional weaknesses in the prosecution. Their primary concern is that the FACE Act’s religious freedom protection fundamentally misapplies First Amendment rights, which protect individuals from government interference, not from private individuals like the protesters.
Defendants Challenge Politically Motivated Prosecution
Don Lemon and Georgia Fort requested disclosure of grand jury transcripts, arguing the government’s conduct was “highly unusual, nakedly political, and inconsistent with practice in this District.”
They maintain their innocence, with Lemon characterizing the charges as baseless and asserting he was covering news. Activist and defendant Nekima Levy Armstrong, who pleaded not guilty, describes the prosecution as “the Trump administration’s focus on punishing non-violent, peaceful demonstrators, attacking the free press, so that he can silence dissent.”
Legal experts predict the case could be dismissed on First Amendment grounds, as the statute’s application to private interference with worship services lacks a constitutional basis.
DOJ charging 30 more people for roles in anti-ICE protest at Minnesota church https://t.co/1R95ApL8PI
— CBSColorado (@CBSNewsColorado) March 1, 2026
The case reflects the Trump administration’s commitment to protecting religious institutions from leftist disruption while raising legitimate questions about prosecutorial overreach. If successful, this unprecedented prosecution could establish new federal protections for houses of worship against protest activities.
However, the judicial rejection of initial charges and expert predictions of dismissal suggest the administration may have overstepped constitutional boundaries in its zeal to defend religious freedom.
The outcome will significantly impact how federal law balances the protection of religious exercise against First Amendment rights to protest and press freedom.
Sources:
DOJ charging 30 more people for roles in anti-ICE protest at Minnesota church – CBS News
30 people charged in connection with Minnesota church incident, DOJ announces – ABC News
DOJ charges 30 more for Minnesota church protest – Politico
