• Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen arrested Thursday morning for organizing church disruption
• FBI Director Kash Patel says pair charged with violating federal law protecting places of worship
• Protesters targeted church because pastor David Easterwood serves as ICE field office director

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA (TDR) — Attorney General Pam Bondi announced federal arrests Thursday morning of two anti-ICE protesters who organized the storming of a Minnesota church service, promising additional charges are forthcoming as the Justice Department cracks down on disruptions at places of worship.

Bondi identified civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong and St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Louisa Allen as the first suspects arrested in connection with Sunday's disruption at Cities Church in St. Paul.

"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," Bondi wrote on X Thursday morning.

"We will share more updates as they become available. Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP," she added.

Minutes later, Bondi announced a second arrest.

"UPDATE: A second arrest has been made at my direction. Chauntyll Louisa Allen has been taken into custody," Bondi wrote. "More to come. WE WILL PROTECT OUR HOUSES OF WORSHIP."

FACE Act Charges Against Organizers

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the pair face charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits interfering with the exercise of religion at places of worship.

The arrests represent the first federal enforcement action against protesters who disrupted worship services during Sunday's demonstration at the Southern Baptist-affiliated church.

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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shared images of Armstrong's arrest by federal law enforcement, stating Armstrong has been charged with conspiracy against rights.

The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation shortly after Sunday's incident, with Bondi warning that attacks against law enforcement and intimidation of Christians would face the full force of federal law.

"I just spoke to the pastor in Minnesota whose church was targeted. Attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law," Bondi said in a statement earlier this week.

Sunday Church Service Disrupted

Approximately 30 to 40 protesters stormed Cities Church during Sunday morning worship services, interrupting the opening prayer by chanting "ICE out," "Justice for Renee Good," and "Hands up, don't shoot."

Video posted by Black Lives Matter Minnesota showed demonstrators crowding the church aisle and surrounding congregants, including children, while shouting slogans.

The Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention called the incident an unacceptable trauma, saying the service was forced to end prematurely as protesters shouted insults and accusations at youth, children and families.

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St. Paul police received multiple calls Sunday morning reporting the disruption but said by the time officers arrived, the group had moved outside and began walking down an alley.

Lead pastor Jonathan Parnell confronted protesters during the incident, calling their actions shameful.

"This is unacceptable, it's shameful. It's shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship," Parnell told former CNN host Don Lemon, who filmed inside the church.

"We're here to worship, we're here to worship Jesus, because that's the hope of these cities, that's the hope of the world, is Jesus Christ," Parnell added.

The pastor asked protesters and Lemon to leave the church unless they were there to worship.

ICE Pastor Connection

Protesters targeted the church because David Easterwood, listed as a pastor on the church website, serves as acting field office director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota.

NewsNation and FOX 9 confirmed Easterwood holds the ICE position. He appeared with Homeland Security Secretary Noem at an October press conference in Minneapolis, where he was introduced as the acting director of ICE's St. Paul Field Office.

Armstrong defended targeting the church in interviews.

"This cannot be a house of God while harboring someone directing ICE agents to wreak havoc on our community," Armstrong told Democracy Now. "I am a reverend on top of being a lawyer and an activist, so I come here in the power of the almighty God."

"They cannot pretend to be a house of God while harboring someone who is directing ICE agents to wreak havoc upon our community," she added.

The protest was organized by Armstrong's Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota as part of "Operation Pullup," a clandestine operation to disrupt business as usual.

Easterwood was not present at Sunday's service. ICE officials have not commented on whether he remains in his position.

Don Lemon's Involvement Draws Scrutiny

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon embedded with protesters and livestreamed portions of the church disruption on his YouTube channel, conducting interviews inside the sanctuary during the protest.

Lemon told viewers he reached out to Armstrong Saturday night after seeing her social media post promoting the protest but was not told where demonstrators would go.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, publicly warned Lemon about his involvement.

"A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest! It is a space protected from exactly such acts by federal criminal and civil laws! Nor does the First Amendment protect your pseudo journalism of disrupting a prayer service," Dhillon wrote on X.

"You are on notice!" she added in her message to Lemon.

Dhillon told Newsmax on Monday that journalism is not a shield from criminal conspiracy, saying Lemon was committing journalism while potentially participating in illegal activity.

Lemon defended his actions as protected First Amendment journalism in response videos.

"The MAGA administration and the fake news MAGAs are losing their mind over something that's not even true," Lemon said. "We were there chronicling protests. Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism, which was report on it and talk to the people who were involved."

"That's it. It's called journalism, the First Amendment," he added.

Armstrong supported Lemon in interviews, saying he had no advance knowledge of protest plans.

"Don Lemon did nothing wrong, other than being there documenting our voices, as well as the voices of parishioners, and asking them what they thought about ICE, what they thought about Pastor David Easterwood being a high-ranking official within ICE," Armstrong told Democracy Now.

Renee Good Shooting Context

The church protest occurred amid escalating tensions over Renee Good's death, a 37-year-old mother of three fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis on January 7.

The Trump administration sided with ICE officer Jonathan Ross, arguing he acted in self-defense. Protesters and Minnesota officials have condemned ICE, calling for removal of its personnel from the state.

President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to protests. The Pentagon has ordered approximately 1,500 troops to prepare for potential deployment to Minnesota, though Trump told reporters Friday he might not need to use the authority.

More than 2,000 arrests have been made since the beginning of Operation Metro Surge, according to FOX 9. ICE agents have been involved in multiple confrontations with protesters, including two non-fatal shootings while apprehending suspects.

Democratic Governor Tim Walz condemned the church disruption through a spokesperson.

"The Governor has repeatedly and unequivocally urged protesters to do so peacefully," the statement said. "While people have a right to speak out, he in no way supports interrupting a place of worship."

Trump Calls Protesters Insurrectionists

President Trump characterized the church protesters as professional insurrectionists in a Truth Social post after watching footage of the incident.

"Just watched footage of the Church Raid in Minnesota by the agitators and insurrectionists. These people are professionals!" Trump wrote.

"No person acts the way they act. They are highly trained to scream, rant, and rave, like lunatics, in a certain manner, just like they are doing," he added.

ICE officials criticized Minnesota political leaders for enabling the protests.

"Agitators aren't just targeting our officers. Now they're targeting churches, too. They're going from hotel to hotel, church to church, hunting for federal law enforcement who are risking their lives to protect Americans," ICE wrote on X.

"Tim Walz and Jacob Frey are responsible for whipping up this chaos," the agency added, referring to Minnesota's governor and Minneapolis mayor.

Armstrong's Activist Background

Armstrong served as president of the Twin Cities NAACP chapter and ran unsuccessfully for Minneapolis mayor in 2017, losing to current Mayor Jacob Frey.

She has been a key organizer of boycotts against Target over the company's decision to scale back diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Armstrong previously drew controversy for praising Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, who was convicted of murdering State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1977.

"A brave, wise, powerful, and revolutionary Black woman," Armstrong called Chesimard.

Allen, the second person arrested, serves as an elected member of the St. Paul School Board and was instrumental in building the Black Lives Matter Twin Cities chapter.

Faith Leaders Express Dismay

Many faith leaders expressed dismay when the government announced last January that federal immigration agencies can make arrests in churches, schools and hospitals, ending protection of people in sensitive spaces.

While no immigration raids during church services have been reported, some churches have posted notices prohibiting federal immigration officers from entering. Others have reported attendance drops, particularly during enforcement surges.

North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell wrote on X that the church is pastored by one of the organization's city missionaries in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention Executive Director Trey Turner told Baptist Press the situation represents a challenging time for area churches.

"Please pray for those who struggle with fear. One young man I know worried for his family so much that his immune system went down and he got shingles. Pray for people to look to God and find peace in Jesus," Turner said.

Associational mission strategist Chris Reinertson called it a challenging time for churches in the Twin Cities Metro Baptist Association.

"It's been really a challenge for all of us," said Reinertson, pastor of Southtown Baptist Church in Bloomington.

Will additional arrests deter future disruptions of religious services, or will protesters view federal charges as martyrdom validating their cause?

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