Bondi announces two more arrests from Cities Church ICE protest
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced federal arrests of Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson in connection with the coordinated protest at Cities Church in St. Paul targeting an alleged ICE-affiliated pastor. The two men were added to a federal indictment filed last week; Austin, an Army veteran, was arrested Friday and is jailed locally, while Richardson’s custody status and court dates remain unclear. the protest forced congregants under duress though no major injuries were reported, and officials are evaluating whether the events meet the federal legal definition of a riot. At least nine people have been charged so far, including former CNN anchor Don Lemon, who was arrested in California, released without bail, and faces federal charges of conspiring to disrupt the service and obstructing exits; he is due in Minneapolis court Feb.9. Bondi warned that authorities will pursue those who riot in places of worship, and the arrests come amid increased public anger over recent federal actions by immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.
Bondi announces two more arrests from Cities Church ICE protest
Federal authorities have arrested two more people in connection with the anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest at Cities Church in Minnesota, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Monday.
Bondi identified the two men as Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson, whom she said partook in the “coordinated attack” on the Baptist church in St. Paul.
“If you riot in a place of worship, we WILL find you,” she warned protesters on X.
It is unclear if the event has been labeled a riot under federal law, which defines it as an “act of violence” that constitutes a clear and present danger and results in “damage or injury” to property or other people, or the “threat or threats of the commission” of an act of violence.
No major physical injuries were reported, but the churchgoers were placed under duress as protesters shouted and accused Cities Church of harboring an ICE officer who they claimed is one of the pastors.
At least nine people, most notably including former CNN anchor Don Lemon, have been arrested and indicted so far after the church protest last month. Austin and Richardson were included as defendants in the federal indictment filed Thursday.
Austin was arrested on Friday and is being held in a local county jail, according to Minnesota Public Radio. A YouTube video showed federal officers escorting the Army veteran into a vehicle.
It remains unclear when Richardson was taken into custody or when either of them will appear in court.
Lemon was arrested in California late Thursday and released from custody without bail the following day. He was indicted on two federal charges for conspiring with protesters to disrupt a church service and obstructing access to the church’s exit as congregants tried to leave the chaotic scene.
The now-independent journalist is due to appear in a Minneapolis court on Feb. 9. A Los Angeles judge permitted him to travel as long as the defendant’s plans don’t conflict with his scheduled court dates.
CELEBRITIES BLAST TRUMP, ICE, AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS AT GRAMMYS
Lemon appeared at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, receiving a standing ovation from anti-Trump celebrities attending a gala before the music awards show.
Vitriol against immigration enforcement has only grown in the weeks since federal officers killed two American citizens in Minneapolis. Lemon used his public platform to call out the Trump administration for the high-profile deaths, the second of which came days after the church protest.
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