Mob Invaders BUSTED After Terrorizing Church Service

Federal authorities arrested two anti-ICE organizers who led a mob invasion of a Minnesota church service, marking the first major enforcement action under the FACE Act against protesters who terrorized worshippers including children in a house of God.

Story Snapshot

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced arrests of Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen on January 22, 2026, charging them under the FACE Act for disrupting worship at Cities Church in St. Paul
Protesters invaded the church on January 18, marching down the aisle chanting “ICE out” while families and youth were present, forcing the service to end prematurely
The coordinated attack targeted Pastor David Easterwood, who also serves as acting director of the ICE St. Paul field office
The Trump administration deployed over 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents to Minnesota in early January 2026 as part of heightened immigration enforcement operations

Mob Disrupts Sacred Worship Service

On Sunday, January 18, 2026, protesters stormed Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, during an active worship service. The group marched down the center aisle while families, children, and youth were present, chanting anti-ICE slogans and shouting at congregants. The disruption forced church leadership to end the service prematurely, creating what Baptist leaders described as “unacceptable trauma” for attending families. This brazen attack on a house of worship crossed a threshold that even critics of immigration enforcement found deeply troubling, violating the fundamental American principle of religious freedom.

Pastor’s Dual Role Becomes Protest Target

The protesters specifically targeted Pastor David Easterwood due to his dual role as both spiritual leader of Cities Church and acting director of the ICE St. Paul field office. Armstrong publicly called for Easterwood’s resignation, claiming a “moral conflict” between leading a congregation and directing immigration enforcement operations. In a January 5 court filing, Easterwood had defended ICE tactics including license plate swaps, chemical irritants, and flash-bangs used against aggressive protesters. The Trump administration’s deployment of over 3,000 federal agents to Minnesota in early January intensified local tensions, ending prior protections against arrests in sensitive locations like churches, schools, and hospitals.

Federal Crackdown Delivers Swift Justice

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrests of Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights lawyer and ordained pastor, and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, a St. Paul School Board member, on Thursday, January 22, 2026. Both face charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act for interfering with religious exercise. Bondi declared on X: “WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP.” FBI Director Kash Patel and Homeland Security Investigations executed the arrests, with Bondi promising additional arrests of other participants. This decisive action demonstrates the Trump administration’s commitment to protecting constitutional rights, specifically the First Amendment guarantee of free exercise of religion.

Church Leaders Condemn Sacrilegious Attack

Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, called the church invasion “unthinkable” and accused the political left of crossing a sacred threshold. The Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention, with which Cities Church is affiliated, expressed dismay at what they viewed as sacrilege against a worship space. Former Cities Church pastor Rev. Joe Rigney emphasized the church’s priority of congregant safety. This assault on religious freedom strikes at the heart of American values—the constitutional protection of peaceful worship. While protesters claimed religious justification, citing “judgment begins in the House of God,” their actions contradicted fundamental respect for sacred spaces that Americans of all faiths have historically honored.

The incident stems from ongoing protests following the January 7, 2026, shooting death of Renee Good, a Minneapolis resident, by an ICE officer during demonstrations. Armstrong and Allen justified their actions as demanding accountability for Good’s death and Easterwood’s ICE role, which they claimed inflicted “fear” on communities. However, their methods—terrorizing families during worship—reveal the extremism that has infected elements of the anti-enforcement movement. Even Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s spokesperson, while defending protest rights, condemned disruptions of religious services, acknowledging that such tactics cross legal and moral boundaries that protect all Americans’ freedom to worship without intimidation or violence.