{"id":2568360,"date":"2026-02-10T13:26:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T18:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/don-lemon-codefendant-seeks-to-dismiss-church-storming-case\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T13:28:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T18:28:49","slug":"don-lemon-codefendant-seeks-to-dismiss-church-storming-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/don-lemon-codefendant-seeks-to-dismiss-church-storming-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Don Lemon codefendant seeks to dismiss church storming case"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdon-lemon-codefendant-seeks-to-dismiss-church-storming-case%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2568360&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Ian Davis Austin,one of nine defendants in the January disruption at St. Paul\u2019s Cities Church, seeks to dismiss the conspiracy against rights and FACE Act charges, arguing the indictment criminalizes expressive protest rather than unlawful conduct. The government alleges conspiracy against rights under 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 241 and interference with religious freedom under the FACE Act, asserting that the defendants used force, threats of force, or obstruction. Austin\u2019s lawyers contend the indictment does not allege any physical harm, violence, weapons, or threats, and that his presence and participation in protest activities inside a church shoudl be treated as protected political speech. Don Lemon, a fellow defendant, was arrested and released; he maintains he was acting as a journalist, not a protester. The case arises from an anti-ICE protest linked to Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota,with Lemon preparing to be arraigned and Austin having pleaded not guilty,though no hearing date for his motion to dismiss has been set.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Don Lemon codefendant seeks to toss FACE Act indictment in church storming case<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tpd-featured-video\">\n<div id=\"Brid_21699\" class=\"brid\" style=\"width:1280;height:720;\"> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>A codefendant charged alongside former CNN host <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4443969\/don-lemon-jimmy-kimmel-offered-turn-himself-in-ahead-of-arrest\/\">Don Lemon<\/a> in a federal case stemming from an anti-<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ice\/\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement<\/a> protest inside a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/minnesota\/\">Minnesota<\/a> church is asking a judge to dismiss his charges.<\/p>\n<p>Ian Davis Austin, one of nine defendants charged over a January disruption at St. Paul&rsquo;s Cities Church, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.mnd.231102\/gov.uscourts.mnd.231102.97.0.pdf\">filed a motion on Friday<\/a> seeking dismissal of the conspiracy and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3452865\/trump-backed-push-to-repeal-face-act-gains-steam-post-dobbs\/\">Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances<\/a> Act counts as applied to him, arguing the indictment criminalizes expressive protest activity rather than unlawful conduct.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4452285\/burt-jones-appointed-committee-subpoenas-nathan-wade-fani-willis-investigation\/\">Burt Jones-appointed committee subpoenas Nathan Wade in Fani Willis investigation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4451898\/court-rules-against-california-ice-mask-ban\/\">Court rules against California ICE mask ban in win for Trump administration<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4450855\/jury-media-platforms-addiction-case-judge\/\">Jury can keep using platforms at center of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jury-can-keep-using-platforms-at-center-of-social-media-addiction-case-judge\/\" title=\"Jury can keep using platforms at center of social media addiction case: Judge\">social media addiction case<\/a>: Judge<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Austin is charged with conspiracy against rights under 18 U.S.C. &sect; 241 and interference with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/religious-freedom\/\">religious freedom<\/a> under the FACE Act, statutes that require allegations of force, threats of force, or physical obstruction. His attorneys argue the indictment falls short of those standards.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Indictment does not allege that he used force against any person,&rdquo; the motion states. &ldquo;It pleads no physical contact, assaultive conduct, weapons, or acts capable of causing bodily harm. Nor does it allege that he threatened force.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3452865\/trump-backed-push-to-repeal-face-act-gains-steam-post-dobbs\/\">indictment unsealed on Jan. 30<\/a>, Austin attended a planning meeting and later stood in or near aisles during a church service where protesters confronted the pastor, who the protesters said also serves as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gov-larry-hogan-vetoes-bill-aiming-to-make-maryland-a-sanctuary-state\/\" title=\"Gov. Larry Hogan Vetoes Bill Aiming To Make Maryland A Sanctuary ...ate\">federal immigration official<\/a>. The defense argues those allegations amount to political speech and presence during a protest, not conduct criminalized by the FACE Act&rsquo;s narrow terms.<\/p>\n<p>Public reporting has identified Austin as a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mprnews.org\/story\/2026\/02\/01\/army-veteran-ian-austin-arrested-for-protesting-st-paul-church-service\">military veteran and vocal critic of ICE<\/a>. MPR News reported that Austin, described by a fellow protester as a former Army Ranger with multiple deployments to Afghanistan, was arrested Jan. 30 outside the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis and briefly held in Sherburne County Jail. In a video recorded during his detention, Austin claimed authorities were &ldquo;targeting&rdquo; him following viral online posts criticizing ICE actions.<\/p>\n<p>The motion also notes that during the complaint stage of the case, a magistrate judge declined to approve FACE Act charges against certain proposed defendants due to insufficient evidence of physical obstruction, an issue Austin&rsquo;s attorneys say persists in the grand jury indictment.<\/p>\n<p>The charges stem from a Jan. 18 planned protest that unfolded amid &ldquo;Operation Metro Surge,&rdquo; a Trump administration-led immigration enforcement push in Minnesota that has sharply escalated arrests and removals in the Twin Cities.<\/p>\n<p>Austin is charged alongside Don Lemon, who faces the same conspiracy and FACE Act counts, and was captured on film showing a degree of awareness about the protesters&rsquo; plans prior to following them inside Cities Church during the church storming last month.<\/p>\n<p>Lemon was arrested and released without bail on Jan. 30. This week, he addressed the case during remarks at the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/human-rights-campaign\/\">Human Rights Campaign&rsquo;s<\/a> 2026 Greater New York dinner, likening his arrest to historic civil rights struggles while insisting he was acting as a journalist, not a protester.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not an activist. I&rsquo;m not a protester. I am a journalist,&rdquo; Lemon said.<\/p>\n<p>Assistant Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/harmeet-dhillon\/\">Harmeet Dhillon<\/a>, who led the Justice Department&rsquo;s push to bring prosecutions in this case, has pushed back on claims that any of the nine defendants were there lawfully expressing their <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/first-amendment\/\">First Amendment<\/a> rights, including those who claimed they were there to report on the incident.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailysignal.com\/2026\/02\/04\/i-dont-care-theyre-journalist-harmeet-dhillon-gives-blunt-message-don-lemon\/\">I don&rsquo;t care if they&rsquo;re a journalist or not<\/a>. I&rsquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >ve personally represented numerous journalists<\/a>, and I&rsquo;ve been a journalist,&rdquo; Dhillon told the <em>Daily Signal<\/em> in an interview. &ldquo;I highly respect the press and the First Amendment.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4440345\/don-lemon-arrested-by-federal-officials-over-minnesota-church-ice-out-protest\/\">DON LEMON ARRESTED BY FEDERAL OFFICIALS OVER MINNESOTA CHURCH &lsquo;ICE OUT&rsquo; PROTEST<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What I don&rsquo;t respect is somebody violating somebody else&rsquo;s First Amendment rights in their sanctuary, which is protected by federal law as well as the First Amendment,&rdquo; she added, &ldquo;and that&rsquo;s what happened in this case.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Lemon is expected to be arraigned in Minnesota federal court on Friday afternoon. Austin has pleaded not guilty, and the court has not yet scheduled a hearing on his motion to dismiss.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lemon co-defendant seeks dismissal of FACE Act charges<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2568361,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26019847475467_b93888.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[71660,73496,32417,7578,36966],"class_list":["post-2568360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-church-storming","tag-codefendant","tag-court-case","tag-dismissal","tag-don-lemon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26019847475467_b93888.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2568360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2568360"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2568360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2568364,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2568360\/revisions\/2568364"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2568361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2568360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2568360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2568360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}