MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Monday the arrest of two more individuals as part of a crackdown following a protest at a Minnesota church against the enforcement actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), bringing the total number of arrests to nine. The latest individuals arrested were identified as Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson, although details about their arrests remain undisclosed.
The mass arrests stem from a grand jury indictment that was unsealed on Friday, which implicated all nine individuals in federal civil rights violations by allegedly conspiring to interfere with the First Amendment rights of worshippers during the protest held on January 18 at Cities Church in St. Paul. Notably, one of the church's pastors serves in a role within ICE.
Among the initially arrested were known independent journalists and activists, including former CNN journalist Don Lemon and prominent activist Nekima Levy Armstrong. The protest involved chants calling for the removal of ICE, particularly highlighting the case of Renee Good, a mother tragically killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
The situation has drawn strong criticisms from the Trump administration, with officials emphasizing the seriousness of the implications against those involved. As backlash continues, the Justice Department's investigation reflects ongoing national tensions regarding immigration enforcement and civil rights.
The mass arrests stem from a grand jury indictment that was unsealed on Friday, which implicated all nine individuals in federal civil rights violations by allegedly conspiring to interfere with the First Amendment rights of worshippers during the protest held on January 18 at Cities Church in St. Paul. Notably, one of the church's pastors serves in a role within ICE.
Among the initially arrested were known independent journalists and activists, including former CNN journalist Don Lemon and prominent activist Nekima Levy Armstrong. The protest involved chants calling for the removal of ICE, particularly highlighting the case of Renee Good, a mother tragically killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
The situation has drawn strong criticisms from the Trump administration, with officials emphasizing the seriousness of the implications against those involved. As backlash continues, the Justice Department's investigation reflects ongoing national tensions regarding immigration enforcement and civil rights.
