Oops: Leader of Anti-ICE Church Invasion Just Made Prosecutors’ Job a Lot Easier

Conservative News DailyJanuary 19, 2026

Nekima Levy Armstrong is accused of organizing a protest that interrupted a worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul to oppose immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); she posted video of the disruption to her Facebook page and publicly named and pinned the identities of those involved. the clip shows protesters chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good”; Armstrong credited co-organizers from Black Lives Matter Minnesota and Racial Justice Network and thanked several people she called independent journalists. Cities Church pastor Jonathan Parnell denounced the interruption as “shameful,” while former CNN host Don Lemon defended the protesters’ right to assemble – a point the article disputes,arguing that interrupting religious worship is not protected speech. ABC News reported that the church’s assistant pastor,David Easterwood,leads a local ICE field office but may not have been present during the incident. The White House press secretary and the Justice Department condemned the action and opened an examination; Justice officials signaled they intend to pursue charges and referenced the FACE Act and the Ku Klux Klan Act as possible legal bases. The article concludes that Armstrong’s public naming of participants may assist federal authorities in identifying and charging those involved.

Nekima Levy Armstrong — an alleged organizer of an invasion of a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations — did some of the Trump Justice Department’s work for them by posting the names of those involved in the incident on social media.

Video of the protest that Armstrong posted Sunday to her page showed a group of people disrupting a worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good.”

Armstrong leads the local grassroots civil rights organization Racial Justice Network, according to ABC News.

In a caption to her post, she wrote, “Friends, Here is a clip of our demonstration this morning at Cities Church in St. Paul. David Easterwood is a Pastor at this church and the Acting Field Director for the ICE office in St. Paul. It’s time for judgment to begin, and it will begin in the House of God!!!”

“Thank you to all of the activists who showed up + independent journalists Georgia Fort, Don Lemon, DawokeFarmer2, Brixton Hughes. Special thanks to Monique Cullars Doty, Chauntyll Allen, Satara Strong-Allen for co-organizing this mission from Black Lives Matter Minnesota & Black Lives Matter Twin Cities Metro, along with Racial Justice Network.”

She just…posted everyone involved.

And then PINNED it to her profile. Incredible. pic.twitter.com/nukgJ5JZgd

— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) January 19, 2026

ABC News noted that the assistant pastor, David Easterwood, who leads a local ICE field office, was not overseeing Sunday’s worship service, and it was not even clear he was present at the church during the incident.

Cities Church pastor Jonathan Parnell told former CNN host Don Lemon during the protest that it was “shameful.”

“This is unacceptable… It’s shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship,” he said.

Lemon countered, “There’s a Constitution with freedom of speech and freedom to assemble in protest.”

“We’re here to worship Jesus, because that’s the hope of these cities, that’s the hope of the world, is Jesus Christ,” Parnell responded.

🚨 🚨TODAY: MINNESOTA SHEPHERD PROTECTS HIS SHEEP FROM WOLVES.

—Pastor Jonathan Parnell asks former CNN anchor Don Lemon to leave his church.

—Don Lemon says, “Please, don’t push me.” (He wasn’t pushed. He’s just that entitled).

Extremist protesters entered Cities Church… pic.twitter.com/FUkCxBeyll

— Pastor Travis Johnson (@BasedPastorTrav) January 19, 2026

If Lemon knew his Constitution, he would realize that it protects the freedom of religion.

How does interrupting a church service, where people are engaged in the First Amendment right to freely exercise their religion, equate to protected activity?

It does not.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on Sunday, “President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship. The Department of Justice has launched a full investigation into the despicable incident that took place earlier today at a church in Minnesota.”

President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship.

The Department of Justice has launched a full investigation into the despicable incident that took place earlier today at a church in Minnesota.

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 19, 2026

Attorney General Pam Bondi affirmed, “I just spoke to the Pastor in Minnesota whose church was targeted. Attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law.”

I just spoke to the Pastor in Minnesota whose church was targeted. Attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law.

If state leaders refuse to act responsibly to prevent lawlessness, this Department of Justice…

— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 19, 2026

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon laid out on Monday during an interview with conservative podcast host Benny Johnson the charges the protesters may face.

“We will pursue charges in this case,” she confirmed. “Exactly what they are, I’m not going to flag, but the FACE Act has been mentioned as one of the predicates there.”

BREAKING: DOJ Announces Intention to Charge Don Lemon under the Ku Klux Klan Act.

The KKK Act makes it illegal to threaten, hurt, or intimidate people to prevent them from exercising their God-given rights.

HARMEET DHILLON: “The Klan Act is one of the most important federal… pic.twitter.com/GWnXAMtWc9

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 19, 2026

The FACE Act, in addition to protecting abortion clinics, makes it a crime to “intimidate or interfere with any person lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.”

Dhillon also cited the Ku Klux Klan Act, which makes it illegal “to terrorize and violate the civil rights of citizens,” she said.

Here’s what happened inside Cities Church today. Look at the terrified child being comforted by his father at 1:05.

If the FACE Act isn’t enforced against these lawless radicals, then expect for this to continue all over the country.@AAGDhillon pic.twitter.com/uV8Btg1tFX

— Denny Burk (@DennyBurk) January 19, 2026

“Everyone in the protest community needs to know that the fullest force of the federal government is going to come down and prevent this from happening and put people away for a long time,” the Justice Department official concluded.

A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest! It is a space protected from exactly such acts by federal criminal and civil laws! Nor does the First Amendment protect your pseudo journalism of disrupting a prayer service.

You are on notice! https://t.co/5QASu6N4OE

— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) January 19, 2026

So it would appear Nekima Levy Armstrong would have been well-served to consult the law before organizing a “protest” in the middle of a church service. And now she’s helped the Justice Department in rounding up those who were stupid enough to join her.