Two women have been arrested after disrupting a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, as part of protests against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrests on Thursday, naming Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen as those taken into custody.
The protesters entered Cities Church during a Sunday service, where a local ICE official serves as a pastor. The group chanted “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” referring to a 37-year-old mother of three fatally shot by an ICE officer earlier this month. The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation into the disruption.
Levy Armstrong, a civil rights attorney and former president of the NAACP’s Minneapolis branch, had called for the pastor’s resignation, citing a “fundamental moral conflict.” She argued that leading a congregation while directing an agency whose actions have caused fear is untenable. Prominent Southern Baptist Convention leaders defended the church, stating that compassion for migrant families does not justify violating a sacred space.
It remains unclear what charges the two face. The Justice Department is considering applying the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits obstructing access to reproductive health services or houses of worship. The Trump administration has previously criticised the Biden administration’s use of the FACE Act against abortion clinic protesters.
The swift investigation into the church disruption contrasts with the decision not to open a civil rights investigation into Renee Good’s killing. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said there is “no basis” for such a probe, citing self-defence and describing the driver’s actions as “domestic terrorism.” Separately, the Justice Department has subpoenaed Minnesota officials over potential obstruction of federal immigration enforcement.
