Major Arrests Made in Church Protest

Finally, two of the anti-ICE protesters who furiously stormed Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, terrorizing congregants, have been arrested. Attorney General Pam Bondi took to social media to make the announcement and send a clear message to any would-be copycats – attacks like this on churches and houses of worship will NOT be tolerated in the United States.

Now we watch to see if Don Lemon, who played a clear role in the invasion – and was kind enough to put it on video for evidence – will be the next to be arrested. 

As reported by Fox News:

Federal authorities have arrested two anti-ICE agitators after a mob stormed a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Thursday.

Bondi named Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen as the suspects.

FBI Director Kash Patel says Armstrong’s arrest was in connection with a violation of theFACE Act, which prohibits interfering with the exercise of religion at a place of worship. . . .

“Minutes ago at my direction, HSI 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.

“A second arrest has been made at my direction. Chauntyll Louisa Allen has been taken into custody,” she announced minutes later.

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

Armstrong, whose website identifies her as a civil rights lawyer and “scholar-activist,” helped to organize the storming of Cities Church in St. Paul on Sunday.

For those who’ve said, “Nothing ever happens,” here is your answer: Something is happening.

The ringleader of the group that disrupted a Sunday church service has been taken into custody by the FBI, along with at least one additional individual. This is no longer just outrage and rhetoric – this is a federal law enforcement action.

The primary arrest is Nekima Levy Armstrong, a longtime activist with ties to Black Lives Matter efforts in Minnesota and a documented history of protest-related criminal charges. She was identified early on as the organizer of the group that entered the church, disrupted worship, and traumatized families – including children – during a Sunday service.

Under the FACE Act (the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act), it is a federal crime to intentionally interfere with or disrupt individuals lawfully exercising their First Amendment right to religious freedom at a place of worship. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to storm the altar or physically assault anyone to violate the law. Disruption alone qualifies. Loud chanting. Coordinated questioning. Intimidation. Interrupting prayer. Each of those meets the legal threshold. And Armstrong admitted to it – on national television.

You don’t have to like the FACE Act. Many conservatives rightly criticize how it has been weaponized against the pro-life movement for decades. But here’s the reality: The law also protects churches, synagogues, mosques, and houses of worship. If it’s enforced against one group, it must be enforced against all.

That’s exactly what the DOJ is doing here. Attorney General Pam Bondi made that clear. And again, it’s significant that these arrests were carried out by the FBI, elevating this case well beyond local charges or symbolic slaps on the wrist.

A second individual, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, has also been taken into custody. Investigators have made it clear: This is just the beginning. These cases tend to build outward – leaders are arrested first, cooperation follows, and more names emerge. This will not be the last arrest.

For those wondering about Don Lemon, he is not off the hook. While Lemon has not been charged at this point, his conduct is reportedly under review by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, led by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon. The potential issue isn’t the FACE Act – it’s something even more serious: possible violations under the KKK Act, which addresses conspiracies to deprive Americans of their constitutional rights.

The legal question is whether Lemon’s presence, cameras, and conduct crossed the line from “journalism” into incitement. That requires a higher evidentiary bar – and that’s why this investigation is moving more deliberately. That’s not weakness. That’s how serious federal cases are built properly.

What’s especially telling is Armstrong’s attempt to reframe events by claiming the group merely “sat down and participated in the service” before speaking up. That defense collapses under scrutiny. Churches are not open mic forums. Worship services are protected religious exercises, not town halls. Interrupting prayer with chants and coordinated slogans is not dialogue – it’s disruption, by design.

This wasn’t spontaneous. The group entered strategically, waited for prayer, and then executed a coordinated demonstration. That planning is exactly why federal authorities are taking this seriously.

Look, many of us have defended peaceful protest for years. Protest sometimes leads to arrest. That’s part of civic life. But there is a line. Storming a church service, intimidating worshipers, and disrupting religious exercise cross it.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more discussion of these first arrests in the Minnesota church attack. We were also joined by Special Presidential Envoy Ric Grenell to discuss President Trump’s newly announced “Board of Peace” to determine the rebuilding of Gaza.

Watch the full broadcast below: