If the left-wing activists who previously avoided indictment for storming a church in Minnesota believed they were in the clear, they were mistaken. The Trump administration has unveiled a series of new charges related to the incident, bringing the total number of targeted individuals to 30. According to FBI Director Kash Patel, more than 20 arrests were made on Friday.
? Today: 30 more individuals have been indicted under the FACE Act in connection to the January 18 targeting of Cities Church in Minnesota last month.
As of this morning, the FBI executed a joint operation with our @HSI_HQ partners arresting over 20 of these individuals – with…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) February 27, 2026
From his tweet:
Today: 30 more individuals have been indicted under the FACE Act in connection to the January 18 targeting of Cities Church in Minnesota last month.
As of this morning, the FBI executed a joint operation with our @HSI_HQ partners arresting over 20 of these individuals – with additional arrests to come.
This makes 39 indictments in the Cities Church case total so far, including the arrest of Don Lemon and multiple alleged leaders of the riot last month.
Let it be known: This FBI will never tolerate anyone who targets, intimidates, or attacks Americans peacefully exercising their right to worship freely. Thank you @AGPamBondi and @TheJusticeDept for your relentless pursuit of this case.
In mid-January, a group of Anti-ICE activists, many of whom are connected to Minnesota’s Black Lives Matter movement, staged a takeover at Cities Church in St. Paul. Accompanying them was left-wing “journalist” Don Lemon. Footage recorded by the former CNN host later became crucial evidence in the case, and Lemon himself has faced indictment for his alleged involvement and coordination in the incident.
Today, @thejusticedept unsealed an indictment charging 30 more people who took part in the attack on Cities Church in Minnesota.
At my direction, federal agents have already arrested 25 of them, with more to come throughout the day.
YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP. If you…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) February 27, 2026
It’s somewhat poetic that these charges are being brought under the FACE Act. During the Biden administration, numerous pro-life activists faced arrests and charges under the same law, often for nothing more than standing on sidewalks outside abortion clinics. The Department of Justice showed little leniency in their sentencing, pushing for lengthy prison terms. For instance, Lauren Handy, who received a pardon from then-President Donald Trump in 2025, was sentenced to almost five years in prison for allegedly participating in a “blockade” of an abortion clinic in 2020.
What goes around comes around. While many Republicans still view the FACE Act as unconstitutional, it is the law as it stands. If Democrats choose to wield it as a weapon, there can be no room for compromise when the tables are turned. The only way to prevent leftists from imposing their radical activism in places of worship is to take a firm stand in this situation.
We’ve heard all the bogus excuses. Some say it was a “peaceful protest” and that the intruders had a “First Amendment right” to disrupt a worship service, block exits, and frighten and harass attendees. That’s simply nonsense. If you give left-wing activists an inch, they’ll take a mile. The only thing they truly respond to is real consequences.
I can already envision liberal judges stepping in and making sure that some of these individuals end up being set free. Although these cases appear to be far more straightforward compared to those prosecuted under the Biden administration, it’s clear that common sense and solid evidence don’t always carry weight in our judicial system.
But that said, the DOJ had to charge these people. According to the law as currently written, they seem to have clearly violated it. We can’t go around charging or not charging people based on how a judge may or may not rule.
