3 people involved in a Minnesota church protest are arrested, as judge refuses to charge Don Lemon

Civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong and at least two other activists were arrested Thursday following their involvement in an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, Trump administration officials announced.

Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Levy Armstrong’s arrest in a post on X, writing, “Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP.” FBI Director Kash Patel later announced the arrests of Chauntyll Louisa Allen and William Kelly in connection with the incident.

The arrests stemmed from a Sunday protest at Cities Church, where demonstrators interrupted services by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” referencing the 37-year-old mother of three who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis earlier this month.

Cities Church belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention and lists David Easterwood, who leads the local ICE field office, as one of its pastors. Levy Armstrong had called for Easterwood to resign, arguing his dual role presented a “fundamental moral conflict.”

“You cannot lead a congregation while directing an agency whose actions have cost lives and inflicted fear in our communities,” she said in a statement Tuesday.

According to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Levy Armstrong faces charges under a statute prohibiting the threatening or intimidation of someone exercising their rights. Patel indicated that Allen and Kelly are charged under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which prohibits physically obstructing or threatening to interfere with a person participating in religious services.

Allen serves on the Saint Paul Public Schools board of education, which acknowledged awareness of her arrest but declined further comment on the pending legal matter. Both Allen and Levy Armstrong are established figures in Minnesota’s Black activist community, having previously led protests following the deaths of African Americans at the hands of police, including George Floyd, Philando Castile, and Jamar Clark.

The Justice Department’s swift civil rights investigation into the church protest stands in contrast to its decision not to pursue a similar investigation into Good’s killing. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated last week there was “no basis” for a civil rights investigation into her death, with administration officials maintaining the officer acted in self-defense against what they characterized as “an act of domestic terrorism.”

Vice President JD Vance, who arrived in Minnesota Thursday amid escalating tensions between federal immigration authorities and local residents, issued a stern warning to the protesters during a speech in Toledo.

“Those people are going to be sent to prison so long as we have the power to do so. We’re going to do everything we can to enforce the law,” Vance said.

His visit comes less than a month after Good’s death, which Vance previously described as a “tragedy of her own making.” The Vice President criticized what he termed the “far left” opposition to immigration enforcement, stating, “If you want to turn down the chaos in Minneapolis, stop fighting immigration enforcement and accept that we have to have a border in this country.”

Meanwhile, a federal magistrate judge rejected prosecutors’ attempt to charge journalist Don Lemon in connection with the church protest. Lemon, who was present during the demonstration, has maintained he was there in a journalistic capacity and not affiliated with the protest organizers.

“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 explained in a social media video. “That’s it. That’s called journalism.”

The arrests come as the Justice Department has separately opened an investigation into whether Minnesota officials impeded federal immigration enforcement through public statements. Prosecutors have reportedly issued subpoenas to the offices of Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, and officials in Ramsey and Hennepin counties.

Adding to the tensions, a federal appeals court this week suspended a ruling that had barred immigration officers from using tear gas or pepper spray against peaceful protesters in Minnesota. Following that decision, U.S. Border Patrol official Greg Bovino was seen on video warning protesters before deploying a canister that released green smoke into a crowd.

At a Thursday news conference, Bovino urged better cooperation from Minnesota’s local and state officials, blaming what he termed an “influx of anarchists” for anti-ICE sentiment in the region.

“The current climate confronting law enforcement… is not very favorable right now in Minneapolis,” Bovino said.