Religion and Protest

The Department of Justice unsealed a superseding indictment in the District of Minnesota charging 39 people in connection with the Jan. 18 anti‑ICE protest at Cities Church, adding 30 defendants and applying two civil‑rights counts — a FACE Act misdemeanor and a felony conspiracy to interfere with religious rights — to all 39. Attorney General Pam Bondi said 25 of the newly indicted have been arrested while others have had initial appearances or been released; the indictment alleges a “coordinated takeover‑style attack,” including pre‑protest reconnaissance, and several of the original nine defendants, including former CNN anchor Don Lemon, have pleaded not guilty, saying they were acting as journalists or protesting ICE shootings.