Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday that federal authorities have arrested a prominent civil rights attorney and at least one other person connected to an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a Sunday worship service at a St. Paul church. This announcement came as Vice President JD Vance planned to visit Minnesota amid rising tensions over immigration enforcement.
Bondi stated on X that Nekima Levy Armstrong had been arrested in relation to the incident at Cities Church, a Southern Baptist congregation where a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement official also serves as a pastor. She later noted that a second person had been arrested.
Reuters identified the second person as Chauntyll Louisa Allen, a St. Paul school board member, and reported that both women were taken into custody by federal agents.
Protesters entered the church during the service on Sunday and confronted the leadership about Pastor David Easterwood’s role, whom demonstrators identified as an ICE official. The protest involved chanting and demands from the front of the sanctuary, which led congregants to ask the group to leave, according to accounts of the incident.
Federal prosecutors charged Levy Armstrong under a law designed to protect religious worship from obstruction, Reuters reported. The report indicated that the arrests show a change in enforcement priorities under the Trump administration, including the use of the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which also addresses interference with religious services.
Allen is facing charges under a civil access statute, according to the Associated Press, and officials stated that the investigation is ongoing.
The arrests occurred days after the Justice Department announced it would investigate whether the church disruption violated federal law. Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, previously mentioned that her division was looking into potential civil rights violations related to the protest.
Minutes ago at my direction, @HSI_HQ and @FBI agents executed an arrest in Minnesota.
So far, we have arrested Nekima Levy Armstrong, who allegedly played a key role in organizing the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
We will share more updates as they…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 22, 2026
Vance’s visit to Minnesota was scheduled as the Trump administration increases immigration enforcement operations in the Twin Cities area, which have sparked protests and lawsuits from civil rights groups and local officials.
The demonstration at Cities Church was also linked by organizers to the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis involving an ICE officer. This incident has fueled ongoing public anger and conflicting political messages about the actions of federal agents.
Levy Armstrong has criticized Easterwood’s dual roles, claiming that being a pastor while holding a leadership position in immigration enforcement contradicts Christian teachings, based on reporting about the protest and its aftermath.
Conservative leaders and some religious organizations defended the church and urged prosecutors to pursue the case. Cities Church leaders stated the service was interrupted and that congregants, including children, were scared by the confrontation.
The protest gained additional attention because former CNN host Don Lemon livestreamed from the scene. The Associated Press reported that a magistrate dismissed charges against Lemon.
Bondi’s announcement did not mention any further arrests, but authorities indicated they are still looking into the incident. DHS and the Justice Department have stated that places of worship are protected under federal law and that interference with religious services can lead to criminal and civil penalties.
