Trump administration charges 30 more people for Minnesota church protest
Al Jazeera
The expanded indictment targets protesters who rallied at Cities Church in St Paul against Trump’s immigration surge.
The administration of United States President Donald Trump has broadened its prosecution of the protesters involved in a church demonstration to 39 people, up from nine.
The demonstration was part of a backlash to Trump’s deadly immigration surge in the midwestern state of Minnesota, but officials have sought to frame the protest as an attack on religious freedom.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the expanded indictment on Friday in a message posted to social media.
“Today, [the Justice Department] unsealed an indictment charging 30 more people who took part in the attack on Cities Church in Minnesota,” Bondi wrote. “At my direction, federal agents have already arrested 25 of them, with more to come throughout the day.”
She added a warning to other protesters who might seek to disrupt a religious service.
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