Activists Arrested at St. Paul Church Protest Released From Custody
Three activists arrested in connection with the disruption of a church service in St. Paul were released from custody Friday, according to CBS Minnesota.
The arrests stem from a Sunday protest at Cities Church, where demonstrators entered during worship and chanted “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” referencing the Minneapolis mother fatally shot earlier this month by an ICE officer.
A prominent civil rights attorney and at least two other people connected to an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a church service in Minnesota were arrested Thursday, according to Trump administration officials, while a federal judge declined to approve charges against journalist Don Lemon.
The arrests came as Vice President JD Vance arrived in Minnesota amid heightened tensions over federal immigration enforcement and protests against it.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on social media that Nekima Levy Armstrong, a well-known civil rights lawyer and activist, had been arrested following Sunday’s protest at Cities Church in St. Paul. Demonstrators entered the church during a service, chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” referencing a 37-year-old mother of three fatally shot earlier this month by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
Bondi later said a second person had been arrested, and FBI Director Kash Patel announced a third arrest. The Justice Department quickly opened a civil rights investigation into the church disruption.
“Listen loud and clear: we do not tolerate attacks on places of worship,” Bondi wrote.
Cities Church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and lists one of its pastors, David Easterwood, as the head of the local ICE field office. Church attorneys praised the arrests, calling the protest a serious violation of religious freedom.
Levy Armstrong, a longtime Twin Cities activist and former president of the Minneapolis NAACP branch, has been a visible figure in protests following police killings including those of George Floyd, Philando Castile and Jamar Clark. She has publicly called for the pastor associated with ICE to resign, arguing that serving both roles creates a moral conflict.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Levy Armstrong faces a charge under a federal statute barring intimidation or threats against individuals exercising protected rights. Patel said another arrestee, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, was charged under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act), which also applies to houses of worship.
A third person, William Kelly, was also arrested.
Saint Paul Public Schools acknowledged Allen’s arrest but declined to comment further, citing pending legal proceedings.
The arrests stand in contrast to the Justice Department’s decision not to open a civil rights investigation into the killing of Renee Good. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said last week there was no basis for such a probe, saying the officer acted in self-defense. That decision marked a departure from past administrations that routinely investigated fatal law enforcement encounters.
Federal prosecutors also attempted to charge Lemon in connection with the protest, but a magistrate judge rejected the request, according to a person familiar with the matter. Lemon said he was present solely in a journalistic capacity and was documenting the protest and its aftermath.
“Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism,” Lemon said in a video posted online. “That’s it. That’s called journalism.”
It remains unclear whether prosecutors will seek new charges against Lemon through another court filing or a grand jury.
Vance, speaking earlier in Ohio before traveling to Minnesota, warned protesters that they could face prison time and criticized local officials for opposing federal immigration enforcement. He later said unrest in Minneapolis would subside if state and local leaders stopped resisting immigration authorities.
His visit follows recent court action allowing federal agents to again use tear gas and pepper spray against protesters. After that ruling, U.S. Border Patrol official Greg Bovino was seen on video deploying tear gas during arrests in Minneapolis, repeatedly warning demonstrators that “gas is coming.”
Bovino blamed what he described as an influx of anarchists for escalating tensions and urged greater cooperation from state and local officials.
