The US Justice Department charged 30 more people Friday in connection with an anti-immigration agency protest at the Cities Church in the state of Minnesota, bringing the number of arrests to 39, including former CNN anchor Don Lemon.
The protest initially drew national attention after Lemon and nine others were charged for entering the church in St Paul with demonstrators.
"You cannot attack a house of worship. If you do so, you cannot hide from us — we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you. This Department of Justice stands for Christians and all Americans of faith," Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on the US social media company X.
The indictment said protesters staged a "coordinated takeover-style attack," chanting "ICE out" and "Justice for Renee Good," a Minneapolis mother fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. Lemon defended his presence at the church. "I have spent my entire career covering the news. I will not stop now."
Doug Wardlow, lawyer for the Cities Church, said the arrests "send a clear message: houses of worship are off limits for those who would use chaos and intimidation to advance a political agenda."
The protest followed a wave of anti-ICE demonstrations in Minnesota, including the fatal shooting of nurse Alex Pretti, less than three weeks after Renee Good's death.
