A prominent Minnesota civil rights attorney and activist is in custody following a heated confrontation inside a St. Paul church, a clash that has drawn the direct intervention of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Thursday that Nekima Levy Armstrong, a well-known local activist, has been arrested. The move comes just days after Levy Armstrong led a group into Cities Church in St. Paul to confront a pastor who also serves as an official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The disruption, which halted the congregation’s Sunday service, has sparked a federal civil rights investigation.
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“Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,” Bondi declared in a statement on X, drawing a hard line against the politicization of private sanctuaries.
Crossing the Line
Witnesses say the peace of the service was shattered when protesters entered the sanctuary, chanting “ICE out” and shouting slogans regarding Renee Good, a woman fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis earlier this month.
While the demonstrators claimed to be seeking accountability, the disruption of a religious service has drawn immediate pushback from legal authorities and religious leaders alike. The Justice Department’s swift involvement suggests the administration views the incident not as a protected protest, but as an infringement on the civil rights of the parishioners attempting to worship.
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Prominent leaders within the Southern Baptist Convention rallied to the church’s defense. They argued that while political discourse and grief over the shooting are understandable, they do not provide a license to violate the sanctity of a church or intimidate a congregation during worship.
“Intimidation” vs. Law and Order
Levy Armstrong, who is a civil rights attorney, had previously demanded the pastor of the church resign, claiming his employment with ICE created a “fundamental moral conflict” with his role as a spiritual leader.
Following the incident—but prior to her arrest—she remained defiant, characterizing the potential legal fallout as a silencing tactic.
“When officials protect armed agents… and signal they may pursue peaceful protesters and journalists, that is not justice — it is intimidation,” she said Tuesday.
However, the Attorney General’s office appears to view the definition of “intimidation” differently, focusing on the rights of the pastor and his flock to gather without fear of political incursion. By opening a civil rights probe, the DOJ is signaling that the right to worship takes precedence over the right to disrupt.
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