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By Peter Aitken, Dan Gooding, and Joshua Rhett Miller
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U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday morning announced the arrest and identification of three of the protesters seemingly behind a demonstration aimed at shaming a pastor who also leads an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Dozens of protesters entered the Cities Church in St. Paul during a service on Sunday, where David Easterwood serves as pastor. The demonstrators chanted "ICE out" and "Justice for Renee Good," in reference to the victim of a fatal shooting by an ICE agent on January 7.
Bondi identified Nekima Levy Armstrong, who "allegedly played a key role in organizing the coordinated attack on Cities Church," while Patel identified a second suspect, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, who had been taken into custody on "an alleged violation of the FACE Act, after targeting Cities Church in Minneapolis last weekend."
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"Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP," Bondi wrote on X.
Bondi later announced that William Kelly had also been taken into custody. She did not reveal any charges when announcing his arrest on X.
Newsweek reached out to the FBI via email for further comment on Thursday morning.
Kelly did not respond to a message from Newsweek earlier Thursday, prior to his arrest.
Why It Matters
The protest was the latest in a series of demonstrations against the Trump administration's actions in the Twin Cities in recent weeks, with anger spilling over after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good, a U.S. citizen, two weeks ago.
Administration officials have denounced protestors' actions, saying that agents have been impeded in their work to arrest alleged illegal immigrants.
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What To Know
The DOJ quickly opened a civil rights investigation into the group's protest on Sunday, aimed at one of the church’s pastors, David Easterwood, who also heads the local ICE field office responsible for operations. That quick move contrasted with the DOJ's decision not to open a civil rights investigation into the ICE agent's use of force in Good's death.
Levy Armstrong had said Tuesday that the pastor could not continue in his role because of a "fundamental moral conflict". She has worked as an activist for many years in the Twin Cities area, including leading protests following the death of George Floyd in 2020.
Kelly, a former Army private who was deployed to Iraq from September 2008 through September 2009, told Newsweek on Tuesday that the church service continued despite the arrival of the protestors, and he had no intention of ending his activism.
“I’m not going to be intimidated by these goons, by these Nazis,” he told Newsweek on Tuesday.
The DOJ and FBI have sought to charge protestors under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act. It prohibits physically obstructing or using the threat of force to intimidate or interfere with a person seeking reproductive health services or seeking to participate in a service at a house of worship.
During the Biden administration, the act was used to prosecute those blocking access to abortion clinics, something the Trump administration has criticized as a weaponization of law enforcement.
The DOJ is also investigating Minnesota officials, including Democratic Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, over allegations they impeded or obstructed federal agents in their work through their public statements.
What People Are Saying
Nekima Levy Armstrong, speaking Tuesday: “You cannot lead a congregation while directing an agency whose actions have cost lives and inflicted fear in our communities. When officials protect armed agents, repeatedly refuse meaningful investigation into killings like Renee Good’s, and signal they may pursue peaceful protesters and journalists, that is not justice—it is intimidation.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, on X Thursday: "Religious freedom is the bedrock of the United States—there is no first amendment right to obstruct someone from practicing their religion."
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, reacting to the arrests on X: "This is a gross abuse of power. The federal government is picking and choosing who to investigate—going after protestors and not the person who shot and killed one of our neighbors. I am calling for Nekima to be released immediately."
Protestor William Kelly previously told Newsweek: “We did our thing, we raised our voices. We were never asked to leave and as you see on the videos, I lectured these so-called Christians for supporting this madness. Going into a church that supports ICE is completely the opposite of the words Jesus preached, and so I said that to them.”
What Happens Next
Further arrests are possible in the case, with more details on the charges against Levy Armstrong and Allen also expected later Thursday.
This article contains reporting from The Associated Press.
Update 1/22/26, 11:38 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 1/22/26, 1:47 p.m. ET: This article was updated with details about William Kelly's arrest.
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