Executive Summary
- US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced two additional arrests linked to the Jan. 18 Cities Church protest.
- A total of nine individuals have been indicted on federal civil rights conspiracy charges.
- The incident involved a protest against an ICE official who also serves as a pastor at the church.
- Independent journalist Don Lemon is among those previously charged in the federal indictment.
MINNEAPOLIS — U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Monday the arrests of Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson, raising the total number of individuals charged to nine following a protest at a St. Paul church earlier this year.
According to a grand jury indictment unsealed on Friday, the defendants face federal civil rights charges involving conspiracy and interference with the First Amendment rights of worshippers. The charges stem from a January 18 incident at Cities Church in St. Paul, where demonstrators allegedly disrupted a service to protest immigration enforcement policies. One of the church’s pastors, David Easterwood, serves as the leader of the St. Paul field office for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Court filings allege that Richardson traveled to the location with former CNN host Don Lemon, who was among those previously arrested. Prosecutors claim Richardson communicated to Lemon the need to catch up with other demonstrators. Additionally, the indictment states that Austin stood in the church aisles and loudly directed questions regarding Christian nationalism at a pastor.
The Department of Justice investigation was initiated after the group allegedly interrupted religious services by chanting slogans such as “ICE out.” Lemon, who has identified himself as an independent journalist covering the event, has stated he had no affiliation with the group disrupting the service. While online jail records indicate Austin was arrested Friday, court records do not immediately list legal counsel for Richardson.
Federal Prosecutorial Strategy and Civil Rights
The involvement of the U.S. Attorney General and the utilization of federal conspiracy charges signal a significant escalation in how the Department of Justice is addressing disruptions of religious services. By leveraging statutes that protect the First Amendment right to worship, federal prosecutors are establishing a strict precedent regarding the boundaries of political protest within private religious institutions. This case highlights the legal distinction between protected speech and the obstruction of religious observance, particularly when targeted at officials holding dual roles in clergy and federal law enforcement. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
