Two women arrested in Minnesota for disrupting a church service linked to ICE ties, sparking debate over protest and religious freedom.

On January 22, 2026, two individuals, Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, were arrested in Minnesota for allegedly disrupting a Sunday service at Cities Church in St. Paul, with federal authorities citing violations of the FACE Act and the Ku Klux Klan Act. The Justice Department said the protest targeted the church due to the pastor’s alleged ties to ICE. While Armstrong and Allen were taken into custody, a federal magistrate judge denied the DOJ’s request to charge journalist Don Lemon, sparking criticism from Attorney General Pam Bondi, who remains determined to pursue legal action. The arrests mark a swift federal response to the incident, highlighting tensions over protest rights and religious freedom.