Civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong and at least two other people were arrested Thursday in connection with a protest that disrupted a Sunday service at Cities Church in St. Paul, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official serves as a pastor, according to Trump administration officials. The arrests came as a federal magistrate judge rejected charges against journalist Don Lemon related to the same event. Vice President JD Vance, speaking in Minneapolis, urged state and local law enforcement to collaborate with federal immigration officials.
The arrests demonstrate the Trump administration’s willingness to pursue legal action against those who disrupt its immigration enforcement operations. The development follows the January 8 death of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis—an incident that sparked protests and raised questions about federal officers’ authority.
Cities Church belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention and lists David Easterwood as one of its pastors; Easterwood leads an ICE field office. According to church information, many Baptist churches have pastors who also work other jobs.
The Arrests and Court Response
On Sunday, protesters entered the church during a service and chanted “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good.” The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation after the protest disrupted the service.
At least three people were arrested in connection with the protest. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Levy Armstrong’s arrest via social media. FBI Director Kash Patel announced a third arrest, identifying the person as William Kelly.
A second person, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, a member of the Saint Paul Public Schools board of education, was arrested and charged under a statute that bars threatening or intimidating someone exercising a right, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Kelly and Allen have both been booked in Sherburne County Jail, about 35 miles north of Minneapolis, where people in federal custody are usually held.
A federal magistrate judge rejected the government’s bid to charge journalist Don Lemon in connection with the church protest. The judge, Doug Micko, granted bond to Levy Armstrong and Allen with restrictions preventing them from traveling outside Minnesota or approaching the church.
Lemon said in a video posted to social media that he attended the church as a journalist and not as a protester. “Once the protest started in the church we did an act of journalism which was report on it and talk to the people involved, including the pastor, members of the church and members of the organization,” Lemon said.
His attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the judge’s decision “confirms Lemon’s work as a reporter was protected by the First Amendment.” It was not immediately clear what the Justice Department would do after the judge’s decision; prosecutors could return to seek an indictment before a grand jury.
Administration Pressure and Background
Vice President Vance told reporters in Minneapolis that he wanted “state and local officials to meet us halfway” on immigration enforcement. Before his Minnesota visit, he warned the church protesters: “Those people are going to be sent to prison so long as we have the power to do so.”
The administration also raised concerns about Minneapolis police response to federal agents. A U.S. Border Patrol official said Minneapolis police failed to assist federal agents who were surrounded by protesters at a gas station Wednesday. Minneapolis police responded that they had not received any assistance requests from federal agents on Wednesday.
Nekima Levy Armstrong had called for Easterwood to resign before the protest, saying his dual role posed a “fundamental moral conflict.” She stated: “You cannot lead a congregation while directing an agency whose actions have cost lives and inflicted fear in our communities.”
Levy Armstrong has helped lead protests after the deaths of George Floyd, Philando Castile, and Jamar Clark. She is a former president of the NAACP’s Minneapolis branch.
Levy Armstrong’s attorney, Jordan Kushner, said he offered for her to turn herself in peacefully, but the Trump administration insisted on arresting her. “They wanted a spectacle,” said Marques Armstrong, her husband, recalling that around 50 agents came to detain her.
The government said it would appeal the bond decision, and Levy Armstrong remained in federal custody Thursday afternoon.
Competing Investigations and Support
The Justice Department found no basis for a civil rights investigation into Renee Good’s death. Administration officials said the ICE officer acted in self-defense and that Good was engaging in “an act of domestic terrorism” when her vehicle moved toward the officer. Past administrations have moved quickly to investigate shootings of civilians by law enforcement officials.
The Justice Department separately opened an investigation into whether Minnesota state officials impeded or obstructed federal immigration enforcement through their public statements. Prosecutors sent subpoenas to the offices of Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, and officials in Ramsey and Hennepin counties.
Church lawyers hailed the arrests. Doug Wardlow, director of litigation for True North Legal, a St. Paul-based nonprofit law firm, said in a statement: “The U.S. Department of Justice acted decisively by arresting those who coordinated and carried out the terrible crime.”
The firm has taken on religious freedom cases, including filing a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting a Christian counselor who challenged bans on conversion therapy for children.
Prominent leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention have argued that compassion for migrant families cannot justify violating a sacred space during worship.
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