A woman who led a protest that disrupted a Minnesota church service has been arrested

A woman was arrested after leading a protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota on January 19, 2026. The activists claimed the pastor of Cities Church was also working as an ICE agent. The arrest occurred amidst broader anti-ICE rallies and protests in the area. On January 21, 2026, federal agents deployed tear gas in Minneapolis during arrests related to the protests. Greg Bovino of U.S. Border Patrol was filmed warning protesters about the gas before deploying it.

Two individuals, Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, were arrested on Thursday in connection with a protest that occurred at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday. The protest was triggered by allegations that a pastor at the church, David Easterwood, is the acting field director of the St. Paul ICE office. Demonstrators disrupted a church service, leading to widespread condemnation, particularly from conservatives and the Trump administration. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon livestreamed the protest, drawing criticism from Donald Trump. The attorney general stated that attacks on places of worship would not be tolerated.