Eighth Circuit and Federal Judges Scrutinize Minnesota ICE Church Protest Arrests as Don Lemon Released
State judges in Minnesota have continued to reject arrest warrants tied to a Jan. 18 anti‑ICE disruption at Cities Church, even as federal authorities briefly took three people into custody — including St. Paul school board clerk Chauntyll Allen, who faces a charge of conspiracy to deprive others of their constitutional rights and has publicly defended the protest amid calls from a state lawmaker for her prosecution and removal. Don Lemon was reportedly released from jail after allegedly taking part in the church protest, which supporters and organizers framed as part of broader, nationwide demonstrations against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
📌 Key Facts
- Chauntyll Allen, a St. Paul Board of Education clerk, was one of three people taken into federal custody after the Jan. 18 anti‑ICE protest inside Cities Church and has been charged with conspiracy to deprive others of their constitutional rights.
- Allen publicly defended the church disruption in a TMZ interview, saying it 'needed to be done to get the message across.'
- Minnesota state Rep. Elliott Engen called on authorities to convict and prosecute Allen, remove her from the school board, and bar her from proximity to schools.
- Don Lemon has been released from jail after allegedly taking part in the anti‑ICE protest at a church in Minnesota.
- Reporting confirms the demonstration was explicitly anti‑ICE and took place inside Cities Church, aligning multiple accounts of the disruption.
- CBS framed Lemon's release in the context of broader, nationwide protests against President Trump’s immigration crackdown.
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 31, 2026
1:34 PM
Immigration crackdown protests continue
New information:
- CBS notes that Don Lemon has been released from jail after allegedly taking part in an anti-ICE protest at a church in Minnesota.
- Confirms that the protest in question was explicitly anti-ICE and church-based, aligning with earlier reporting on the Cities Church disruption.
- Frames the release in the context of broader, nationwide protests against President Trump’s immigration crackdown.
January 25, 2026
3:00 PM
Minnesota school board member Chauntyll Allen ripped by state lawmaker after anti-ICE church invasion arrest
New information:
- Identifies St. Paul Board of Education clerk Chauntyll Allen as one of three people taken into federal custody after the Jan. 18 anti‑ICE protest inside Cities Church.
- Specifies Allen has been charged with conspiracy to deprive others of their constitutional rights.
- Adds on‑the‑record reaction from Minnesota state Rep. Elliott Engen, who calls for Allen to be convicted, prosecuted, removed from the school board and barred from proximity to schools.
- Notes Allen publicly defended the church disruption in a TMZ interview, saying it 'needed to be done to get the message across.'
January 23, 2026