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Arrests expected soon in St. Paul anti-ICE church protest
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has announced arrests will be coming any moment now in connection to an anti-ICE protest inside a St. Paul church Sunday.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Two Twin Cities activists arrested Thursday for an anti-ICE protest at a St. Paul church over the weekend will be released from custody, supporters say.
Activist arrested
What we know:
Federal authorities announced the arrest of three activists on Thursday: Attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, St. Paul School Board Member Chauntyll Louisa Allen, and activist William Kelly.
In a tweet Thursday morning, Attorney General Bondi wrote that Armstrong had been arrested by the FBI at her direction for her role in planning a protest Sunday morning at Cities Church on Summit Avenue in St. Paul.
Bondi wrote: "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. We will share more updates as they become available. Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP."
The backstory:
A group of protesters interrupted Sunday mass at Cities Church to oppose one of the church's pastors, David Easterwood, who also serves as the acting field office director for ICE in Minnesota.
Videos of the protests show activists chanting during mass and confronting lead pastor Jonathan Parnell. The protest was organized by the Racial Justice Network, an organization led by Armstrong.
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DOJ investigating church protest
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating anti-ICE protesters who disrupted a church service in the Twin Cities over the weekend. FOX 9’s Soyoung Kim has the latest.
Dig deeper:
The protest made waves online with reactions reaching all the way to the White House, with President Trump saying on Tuesday that "it was horrible."
Over the weekend, both Attorney General Pam Bondi and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the protest was under investigation. Dhillon said in tweets that the Department of Justice was investigating for violations of the FACE Act, which prohibits interference and intimidation at places of worship.
Bondi did not immediately say what crimes Armstrong may face. However, FBI Director Kash Patel later added that the arrest stemmed from violations of the FACE Act. However, Kristi Noem shared a photo of Armstrong's arrest, stating she would be charged with a conspiracy against rights violation. That law penalizes any conspiracy to "oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person" from exercising their rights granted by the Constitution or U.S. law.
Court hearing
Local perspective:
Supporters gathered at the St. Paul federal courthouse on Thursday morning as Levy Armstrong and Allen were slated to appear before a judge for a hearing.
We're told supporters planned to pack the courtroom, but a judge only allowed in attorneys due to size constraints. Later, supporters told FOX 9 the hearing had been postponed because prosecutors failed to present an arrest warrant to the judge. FOX 9 is working to confirm the circumstances of the hearing.
As the hearing was underway, Sec. Kristi Noem announced a third arrest related to the church protests. William Kelly, an activist known online as DaWokeFarmer, was arrested on violations of the FACE Act and conspiracy to deprive rights.
Big picture view:
After the hearing, supporters told FOX 9 that Armstrong and Allen had been granted release by a judge and will be freed from custody later on Thursday.