Third Suspect Arrested in Minnesota Church Disruption Case

William Kelly, one of the anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters who disrupted a service at Cities Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, has been arrested, federal authorities announced Thursday.

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest on social media, writing: “A THIRD subject has now been arrested connected to targeting Cities Church in Minneapolis Sunday. William Kelly is now in custody.”

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that Kelly “is being charged with conspiracy to deprive rights, a federal crime, for his involvement in the St. Paul church riots.” The charge reflects the growing federal response to incidents targeting religious gatherings.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi also commented on the arrest, emphasizing the constitutional significance of the case. “Our nation was settled and founded by people fleeing religious persecution. Religious freedom is the bedrock of this country. We will protect our pastors. We will protect our churches. We will protect Americans of faith,” Bondi stated.

The arrest comes after Kelly had directly challenged federal authorities in a profanity-laden video posted to social media days earlier. In the recording, Kelly specifically dared Bondi to arrest him, using explicit language to address the Attorney General.

Kelly, who reportedly uses the social media handle “dawokefarmer2,” had attempted to justify the church disruption by claiming, “they invited us into their church and the police never asked us to leave.” However, video footage from the incident shows Kelly berating congregants during the service.

The incident at Cities Church is part of a series of protests targeting religious institutions that have connections to immigration enforcement policies. During the disruption, Kelly was recorded criticizing churchgoers as “pretend Christians” and “comfortable White people” who are “living lavish, comfortable lives, while children are dragged into concentration camps.”

“You’re sinners. You’re pretending to be Christians. But we know you live an easy life, don’t you? A very easy life while people are starving,” Kelly can be heard saying in recorded footage from the disruption.

This incident occurs amid heightened tensions over immigration enforcement policies across the United States. Religious institutions have increasingly become focal points for demonstrations related to immigration policy, with protesters targeting congregations they believe support current enforcement measures.

The federal government’s rapid response to these church disruptions signals a priority on protecting religious gatherings from interference, regardless of the political motivations behind such protests. The conspiracy charge against Kelly indicates that prosecutors believe the church disruption was a coordinated effort to interfere with constitutional rights.

Law enforcement authorities have not yet released details about the other two individuals arrested in connection with the Cities Church incident, nor have they specified what additional charges might be forthcoming. The investigation appears to be ongoing.

Legal experts note that while protests are protected by the First Amendment, disrupting religious services crosses into territory where free speech protections may be limited, especially when congregants’ ability to practice their religion is impeded.

The case has drawn significant attention in Minnesota and nationally, raising questions about the boundaries between political protest and religious freedom in increasingly polarized times.