ST. PAUL, MN– Federal agents with the FBI and Homeland Security arrested three people this week. The arrests stem from a protest that interrupted a Sunday morning service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The demonstration on January 18, 2026, has drawn national attention, raising fresh arguments about immigration enforcement and whether places of worship should be off-limits to protests.
Those arrested were Nekima Levy Armstrong, a well-known civil rights attorney, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, a St. Paul School Board member, and activist William Kelly. Federal agents say all three face conspiracy charges tied to depriving others of constitutional rights, including the right to worship without threats or intimidation.
Officials say dozens of protesters entered the church while worship was underway. People chanted “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” referencing a local woman who was recently killed in a shooting involving an immigration officer.
Protesters focused on this church because one pastor also holds a role with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Demonstrators said they were calling out a public official. Church leaders and federal authorities say the group went too far by disrupting a private religious service.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Department of Justice plans to respond firmly to incidents like this. “Religious freedom is the bedrock of this country,” Bondi said. “We will protect our pastors and our churches.”
Don Lemon, Federal Agents, and the “Journalism” Argument
Former CNN host Don Lemon also became part of the story. Lemon was at the church during the protest, recording video and interviewing people for his independent media platform.
Prosecutors sought to charge Lemon along with the protesters, but a U.S. Magistrate Judge initially stopped the arrest warrant. The judge said Lemon appeared to be working as a journalist.
Even so, the Justice Department is reportedly exploring other options to charge him. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said “committing journalism” isn’t a “shield” if someone is involved in a coordinated plan to disrupt a protected event.
Lemon has pushed back publicly. On his YouTube show, he said, “That’s called journalism. You’re not going to diminish my voice.”
The arrests come as Democrats and legacy media have turned up the volume on ICE criticism. Some public figures have used harsh comparisons, calling ICE agents “secret police” and “thugs.” Others have compared today’s immigration enforcement to 1930s Germany.
Critics say this tone doesn’t match how immigration enforcement was discussed years ago. Independent observers point to what they view as uneven standards in how enforcement actions get covered.
Looking Back at the “Deporter-in-Chief” Era
The debate also revived a long-running point about President Barack Obama’s record. During his time in office, more than 3 million people were deported. The text of the debate often highlights that Obama’s first term saw more deportations than the first Trump administration did.
During that period, critics say major outlets rarely treated deportations as a daily crisis story. There were fewer comparisons to a “police state,” and less pushback from leading Democrats.
The Obama administration also recognized Tom Homan, who is often criticized today as a face of “mass deportations.” In 2015, Obama awarded Homan the Presidential Rank Award, the top civil service honor, tied to his work in border security and enforcement.
To many watching now, that contrast makes the current outrage feel more like politics than a steady moral position. Under a Democrat, strong enforcement was praised. Under a different administration, similar actions get labeled “fascism.”
For the three activists arrested in St. Paul, the stakes are high. A conviction for conspiracy to deprive civil rights can bring up to 10 years in prison.
The case could also shape how the government responds to protests on private property, especially inside churches. Protest rights have strong protections, but federal law also protects worshippers from harassment and intimidation while gathering for religious services.
With the 2026 midterm elections getting closer, the “Abolish ICE” push is likely to stay a major issue for progressives. In St. Paul, the more immediate concern is keeping community spaces safe and peaceful.
