❓WHAT HAPPENED: Federal authorities arrested an anti-ICE agitator after a mob stormed a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, and Nekima Levy Armstrong.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced Thursday, January 22, 2026, following the invasion of Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, during a service.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP.” – Pam Bondi
🎯IMPACT: Federal action highlights a zero-tolerance stance on attacks against religious institutions by far-left activists.
The far-left organizer of an anti-ICE protest that stormed the Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, over the weekend has been arrested by federal law enforcement. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Thursday, January 22, that Nekima Levy Armstrong—a radical black activist who operates in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and runs the Racial Justice Network (RJN)—has been taken into custody for organizing what is being characterized as an attack on the church.
“Minutes ago at my direction, HSI and FBI agents executed an arrest in Minnesota. So far, we have arrested Nekima Levy Armstrong, who allegedly played a key role in organizing the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota,” Attorney General Bondi wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday morning. She added, “Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP.”
The National Pulse reported on Monday that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) had opened an investigation into the violent protest, which halted a Christian worship service at Cities Church for around 30 minutes as anti-ICE agitators screamed at and intimidated parishioners. Disgraced former CNN host Don Lemon accompanied the group, embedded with the protesters, and conducted interviews during the disruption. Congregants were forced to flee as the unrest unfolded inside the church.
Following the storming of Cities Church, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) tried to distance himself from the incident and ongoing violent anti-ICE demonstrations in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Late Monday, Walz’s office claimed he has “repeatedly” urged residents to protest “peacefully,” despite prior anti-ICE provocations by the governor. “The Governor has repeatedly and unequivocally urged protesters to do so peacefully. While people have a right to speak out, he in no way supports interrupting a place of worship,” his office claimed.
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