Don Lemon, Nekima Levy Armstrong plead not guilty in federal Cities Church ICE protest case
Former CNN host Don Lemon, activist Nekima Levy Armstrong and six co‑defendants pleaded not guilty in federal court in St. Paul to charges including conspiracy to deprive rights, violations of the FACE Act and related civil‑rights statutes over a Jan. 18 protest that interrupted an active service at Cities Church where protesters targeted Pastor David Easterwood for his alleged role as acting ICE field office director. DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and the FBI opened a probe and have made multiple arrests, prosecutors say they will press criminal charges, the judge released the defendants on bond and set pretrial deadlines and a late‑summer 2026 trial window, and Lemon has retained high‑profile defense counsel including former acting U.S. attorney Joe Thompson.
📌 Key Facts
- On Jan. 18, 2026 protesters interrupted an active Sunday service at Cities Church in St. Paul, chanting, confronting congregants and (according to the indictment) blocking exits; organizers including Nekima Levy Armstrong, Monique Cullers and the Racial Justice Network said they were targeting Pastor David Easterwood because he is allegedly serving as acting ICE field office director for Minnesota and demanded he resign.
- Former CNN host Don Lemon livestreamed the protest; Pastor Jonathan Parnell publicly denounced the disruption and told Lemon to leave unless he was there to worship.
- The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the FBI opened a probe under the FACE Act and related statutes; DOJ officials publicly vowed to press federal charges, and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced additional arrests (Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson) and warned prosecutors would pursue people who "riot in a place of worship."
- A federal indictment names nine defendants — including Don Lemon, Nekima Levy‑Armstrong, St. Paul School Board member Chauntyll Louisa Allen, Georgia Fort, William Kelly, Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson — and alleges violations including conspiracy to deprive rights, FACE Act violations for interfering with religious worship, disorderly conduct in a restricted area, and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder; the indictment recounts congregants fleeing in fear and a child saying they wondered if their parents "were going to die."
- Justice Department lawyers’ decision to bring criminal charges under the FACE Act’s religious‑worship protections is unusual — described by reporters as the first known criminal prosecution using that side of the FACE Act since it passed in 1994 — making the case a potential national precedent for protests inside houses of worship.
- On Feb. 13, 2026 Don Lemon, Nekima Levy‑Armstrong and six other defendants appeared before U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud, all pleaded not guilty, were allowed to remain free on bond with conditions, and Judge Tostrud set a motions schedule and an initial trial window in late summer 2026.
- Don Lemon has retained former Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Joe Thompson and high‑profile defense lawyer Abbe Lowell to represent him; Thompson will be opposing the same U.S. Attorney’s Office that brought the indictment.
- Religious and community leaders and some congregants expressed concern about the disruption and the broader implications: many urged protecting the right to worship without interference, warned that barging into services crosses a line that can trigger FACE Act charges, and cautioned that using the FACE Act here could chill direct‑action tactics while clarifying protections for sanctuaries.
📊 Relevant Data
In St. Paul, Minnesota, the foreign-born population percentage was 18.2% between 2020 and 2024, up from previous years, with immigration driving significant population growth in the state.
St. Paul city, Minnesota - U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — U.S. Census Bureau
From 2020 to 2024, over 81,000 new immigrants moved to Minnesota, making immigration the primary driver of population change and contributing to workforce growth, with St. Paul's foreign-born share reflecting recent trends.
Immigration became the leading component of population growth in Minnesota this decade — Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Since 1994, criminal prosecutions under the FACE Act's religious freedom component have been extremely rare, with the recent case potentially marking the first known instance of such enforcement.
Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act — Wikipedia
ICE enforcement actions in Minnesota from 2020 to 2024 have led to socioeconomic tensions, including business closures, reduced customer traffic, and workforce destabilization due to fear in immigrant communities.
FACT SHEET: ICE Enforcement is Disrupting Minnesota's Economy — North Star Policy Action
Between 2020 and 2024, there were at least 410 incidents of hostile acts against churches in the US, including arson, vandalism, and other disruptions, occurring across 43 states.
Backgrounder: Attacks on Catholic Churches in the U.S. — United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Immigrant-owned businesses in Minnesota experienced significant revenue losses and staffing issues due to ICE operations like Operation Metro Surge in late 2025 and early 2026, with widespread economic damage reported.
Minneapolis businesses losing millions a week during ICE operation — Star Tribune
📰 Source Timeline (11)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
February 13, 2026
10:24 PM
Don Lemon, Cities Church protestors plead not guilty in federal court in Minnesota
New information:
- Don Lemon, Nekima Levy Armstrong, and six other defendants formally appeared before U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud in St. Paul and all pleaded not guilty to federal charges arising from the Jan. 18 protest at Cities Church.
- The indictment lays out specific counts for different defendants, including conspiracy against rights, FACE Act violations for interfering with religious worship, disorderly conduct in a restricted area, and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder.
- Judge Tostrud allowed all eight defendants to remain free on bond with conditions, set a motions schedule and an initial trial date window in late summer 2026, and heard an early defense argument that DOJ is overreaching by using Ku Klux Klan Act–style civil‑rights tools against anti‑ICE protestors.
- The article adds detailed narrative of the protest inside Cities Church, including chanting during services and alleged blocking of exits, drawing a sharp public response from Pastor David Easterwood and congregants, and notes outside legal observers warning the case could test the line between protected protest and unlawful interference with religious practice.
12:06 PM
Don Lemon in court Friday in connection to St. Paul anti-ICE church protest: What to expect
New information:
- Confirms Lemon and other defendants will be arraigned Friday at 1 p.m. in federal court, marking their first appearance on the charges.
- Restates and consolidates the specific federal counts: conspiracy to deprive rights and interfering with religious freedoms under the FACE Act.
- Clarifies the list of other charged local figures expected in court Friday: Nekima Levy Armstrong, St. Paul School Board member Chauntyll Allen, William Kelly, Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson.
5:10 AM
Journalist Don Lemon set to be arraigned in St. Paul church protest case
New information:
- Confirms that former CNN host Don Lemon is set to be arraigned in St. Paul federal court on charges tied to the protest inside Cities Church.
- Clarifies scheduling and procedural details for Lemon’s first appearance/arraignment separate from the broader group of nine co‑defendants.
- Locally sourced piece emphasizes the Minnesota angle and courthouse logistics around the arraignment.
February 10, 2026
11:52 PM
Don Lemon hires former MN prosecutor Joe Thompson to help fight church protest charges
New information:
- Don Lemon has retained former Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Joe Thompson — who resigned after refusing pressure to investigate Renee Good’s widow — as part of his defense team in the St. Paul church protest case.
- Lemon faces federal conspiracy and FACE Act charges tied to the Jan. 18, 2026 anti‑ICE protest inside a St. Paul church where Pastor David Easterwood is also the acting ICE field office director.
- Thompson, until weeks ago the senior federal prosecutor in Minnesota and lead on Feeding Our Future, will now be opposing the same U.S. Attorney’s Office that indicted Lemon, working with high‑profile defense lawyer Abbe Lowell.
- This case is the DOJ’s first known criminal prosecution using the religious‑worship side of the FACE Act since it was passed in 1994, making it a potential national precedent for future protest‑inside‑church cases.
February 02, 2026
5:58 PM
St. Paul church protest: 2 more arrests made in MN
New information:
- Confirms that the two additional people federally arrested Monday are Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson, both already named in last Friday’s indictment.
- Spells out that all nine defendants — including Nekima Levy‑Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, Don Lemon and Georgia Fort — are charged under both the FACE Act and the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871.
- Explains that DOJ has essentially never before brought a criminal case under the FACE Act’s religious‑freedom section, making this a landmark prosecution; past FACE criminal actions focused on reproductive clinics.
- Details from the indictment’s narrative — including prosecutors’ claim that congregants fled in fear and a child reportedly wondered if their parents "were going to die" — which DOJ will use to justify applying the FACE and KKK Acts here.
- Reiterates that President Trump recently pardoned two dozen protesters previously convicted under FACE for clinic actions, underscoring the political context surrounding this new use against anti‑ICE activists.
2:27 PM
LIVE UPDATES | ICE in Minnesota: Pam Bondi announces additional arrests in church protest
New information:
- U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced two additional arrests in the Cities Church protest: Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson.
- Bondi publicly framed the case with the warning, "If you riot in a place of worship, we WILL find you," signaling DOJ’s posture toward future church‑based protests.
- The same live‑updates piece reiterates that ProPublica has identified Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and CBP officer Raymundo Gutierrez as the shooters in the Alex Pretti killing, which DHS has still not confirmed.
January 20, 2026
11:31 PM
Activists call for Cities Church pastor to resign over ICE leadership conflict
New information:
- Confirms and amplifies that community activists, led by Nekima (Nekiva) Levy Armstrong and Monique Cullers, are publicly demanding that Pastor David Easterwood resign from Cities Church because he is allegedly the acting ICE field director for Minnesota.
- Provides detailed quotes from Armstrong and Cullers framing Easterwood’s dual role as a moral and theological conflict, not just a political one, and describing ICE operations as 'terrorism' incompatible with ministry.
- Clarifies that DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is actively investigating the Sunday protest at Cities Church for potential FACE Act violations, focusing on whether protesters illegally disrupted worship.
- Notes that Cities Church has now posted a formal statement responding to the protest and criticism (though the text is only referenced here, not fully quoted).
January 19, 2026
10:26 PM
Christian leaders urge protecting worshippers’ rights after protesters interrupt service
New information:
- The piece reports statements from Christian and other religious leaders in Minnesota urging that, whatever people think of immigration enforcement, federal authorities must protect the right to worship without disruption and avoid turning churches into proxy battlegrounds for ICE politics.
- Some interviewees distinguish between protesting outside versus interrupting an active service, warning that barging into worship crosses a line and risks FACE Act charges even when the target is an ICE‑linked pastor.
- The article notes concern among clergy that DOJ’s use of the FACE Act in this context could become a two‑edged sword—chilling direct‑action tactics against officials who hold dual roles in churches and government, while at the same time setting clearer boundaries around sanctuaries—including mosques and synagogues—during this ICE surge.
- It adds context on how the congregation is responding internally (calls for de‑escalation, some members supporting the pastor’s federal role, others uneasy about the church being tied so closely to ICE), which wasn’t in the initial law‑enforcement‑centric coverage.
1:41 PM
DOJ vows to press charges after activists disrupt church where Minnesota ICE official is a pastor
New information:
- DOJ officials are now publicly vowing to pursue federal charges against activists who disrupted the Cities Church service, not just ‘review’ the incident.
- The article more clearly frames the legal basis as potential violations of the federal FACE Act and related statutes protecting access to religious services.
- It adds additional detail on federal rhetoric, casting the action not only as a civil-rights review but a likely criminal case, raising stakes for local protesters.
1:47 AM
Protesters interrupt St. Paul church service, citing pastor’s ICE ties
New information:
- Confirms that protesters interrupted an active Sunday service at Cities Church in St. Paul, chanting and confronting congregants specifically over pastor David Easterwood’s alleged role as ICE’s acting Minnesota field office director.
- Details that protest leaders, including Nekima Levy Armstrong and the Racial Justice Network, framed the action as targeting a church they say is ‘harboring’ the official overseeing ICE raids that are ‘wreaking havoc’ on immigrant communities.
- Reports that Don Lemon livestreamed the protest, Pastor Jonathan Parnell denounced the disruption as 'shameful' and told Lemon to leave unless he was there to worship, and that DOJ Civil Rights and the FBI have formally opened an investigation under the FACE Act and related statutes.
January 18, 2026