Activists Released After Federal Judge Overturns Detention Order in St Paul ICE Protest Case
Two prominent activists arrested during an anti-ICE demonstration that disrupted Sunday church services in St Paul, Minnesota, have been freed from custody following a federal judge's intervention. Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Allen were released on Friday after the judge ruled that the government had failed to justify their continued detention.
Emotional Reunion Follows Court-Ordered Release
Video footage captured the moment the women emerged from detention, raising their fists in solidarity before embracing waiting loved ones. "Thank you all for being here," Levy Armstrong declared to supporters. "Glory to God!" The federal judge determined that authorities had not met their burden to demonstrate that a detention hearing was warranted or that detention was otherwise appropriate in this case.
According to reports from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, a third activist involved in the same church protest, William Kelley, has also been ordered released after a separate judicial finding that he did not pose a danger to the public.
White House Faces Backlash Over Digitally Altered Image
The activists' release comes amid growing controversy surrounding the White House's social media conduct. On Thursday, the administration posted a digitally manipulated image of Levy Armstrong's arrest that had been altered to falsely depict her crying and to darken her skin tone. The accompanying caption described her as an "arrested far-left agitator" responsible for "orchestrating church riots in Minnesota."
Journalistic investigation by the Guardian and other news organisations revealed the deception, particularly after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had previously shared the original, unaltered photograph showing Levy Armstrong appearing composed during her arrest.
Original Arrest Video Contradicts White House Narrative
Further evidence emerged on Friday when Levy Armstrong released her own video of the arrest, recorded by her husband Marques Armstrong. The footage, obtained by the Associated Press, shows Levy Armstrong engaging in calm dialogue with arresting agents while questioning why they were recording her detention.
"I'm asking you to please treat me with dignity and respect," she told the agents during the more than seven-minute recording. When one agent explained they needed to handcuff her, another held up a phone appearing to record video. "Why are you recording?" Levy Armstrong asked. "I would ask that you not record."
The agent filming responded: "It's not going to be on Twitter. It's not going to be on anything like that. We don't want to create a false narrative." At no point in the complete video did Levy Armstrong appear to cry, directly contradicting the manipulated White House image.
Allegations of Political Persecution and Technological Manipulation
In an audio message shared with the Associated Press, Levy Armstrong accused the Trump administration of using artificial intelligence to alter images of her arrest for political purposes. "We are being politically persecuted for speaking out against authoritarianism, fascism and the tyranny of the Trump administration," she stated during a jailhouse call with her husband on Friday morning.
The activist maintained that her arrest represented "a significant abuse of power" stemming from her refusal "to be silent in the face of brutality from ICE." During her recorded interaction with agents, she attempted to engage them on the political dimensions of her arrest, to which one responded: "I'm not in here to get in a political debate."
The case continues to raise significant questions about protest rights, detention policies, and the ethical use of digital media by government institutions during politically charged situations.
