Richardson’s Arrest Adds to the Growing List of Federal Charges Linked to the Cities Church Case
Jerome Deangelo Richardson, a 21-year-old Temple University student and activist, was arrested Monday by federal agents in connection with an anti-ICE protest that took place at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Richardson’s arrest brings the total number of people charged in the federal case to 22, according to announcements made by the U.S. Department of Justice. A GoFundMe campaign launched to support Richardson’s legal defense states that he turned himself in Monday morning in Philadelphia and has already raised more than $11,000.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on X that federal agents arrested Richardson and Ian Davis Austin as part of what the Justice Department describes as a coordinated disruption at Cities Church.
“If you riot in a place of worship, we WILL find you,” Bondi wrote. “We have made two more arrests in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota: Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson.”
Federal authorities have previously arrested multiple protesters linked to the same incident. Some defendants have been charged under the FACE Act’s houses-of-worship provisions, as well as under federal conspiracy statutes, according to national reporting.
Richardson is facing the same criminal charges filed against independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, along with Minneapolis activists including Nekima Ivy Armstrong and Chauntyll Allen.
The charges include civil rights conspiracy and interference with First Amendment religious rights under the federal FACE Act. The earlier arrests of Lemon and Fort sparked widespread criticism from civil rights organizations, press advocates, and legal scholars, who argue the prosecutions blur the line between protest activity, journalism, and criminal conduct.
Richardson Says He Assisted With Protest Coverage
Richardson has said he helped Lemon with logistics and local context as the journalist traveled to Minneapolis to cover protests against the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and encounters involving ICE and Border Patrol officers.
In a video shared ahead of his arrest, Richardson said he anticipated being taken into custody based on the federal indictment connected to the Cities Church protest. The demonstration centered on Pastor David Easterwood, who served simultaneously as a church leader and an interim ICE field director.
“This is the price of being unapologetic about humanity and love of Christ,” Richardson said, defending the protest as a response to what activists viewed as hypocrisy and harm caused by immigration enforcement. He referenced Christian teachings and civil rights principles in explaining why demonstrators felt compelled to act.
Growing Alarm Over Press Freedom
Legal experts have warned that charging journalists and those assisting them could have lasting consequences for press freedom.
David Harris, a law professor at the University of Pittsburgh, told the Associated Press that being present to document an event does not make journalists participants in alleged criminal activity.
“Charging journalists for being there covering the disruption does not mean they were part of the disruption,” Harris said. “Journalists being present to witness these things and report them are crucial.”
Following his release, Lemon echoed those concerns, emphasizing the role of a free press during moments of political tension.
“I have spent my entire career covering the news,” Lemon said. “There is no more important time than right now for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable.”
Total List of Defendants Grows
With the latest arrests, the total number of individuals charged in connection with the Cities Church case now stands at 22:
Ian Davis Austin; Jerome Deangelo Richardson; Don Lemon; Georgia Fort; Trahern Jeen Crews; Jamael Lydell Lundy; Christina Rank; Abdikadir Noor; Madeline Tschida; Nitzana Flores; Helicity Borowska; Quentin Williams; William Vermie; Paul Johnson; Gillian Etherington; Joshua Doyle; Kirubele Adbebe; Margaret Sager; Ilan Wilson-Soler; Nasra Ahmed; Alice Valentine; and Matrim Charlebois.
Cases Moving Forward
Federal prosecutions connected to the Cities Church disruption are expected to proceed following the additional arrests announced by Bondi and indictments returned by a grand jury, according to national outlets.
Court proceedings for multiple defendants, including Lemon, are scheduled in federal court in Minnesota. The Department of Justice has also signaled that additional arrests could follow in related Minnesota cases, further intensifying scrutiny over the administration’s approach to protest enforcement and press activity.
