Federal authorities arrested three people after a group disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday.
Bondi identified the suspects as activist attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, and William Kelly.
According to Bondi, Armstrong was arrested in connection with an alleged violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which she said was applied here based on allegations involving interference with religious exercise at a place of worship. FBI Director Kash Patel said Armstrong is expected to appear Thursday before U.S. Judge Douglas Micko.
The Department of Homeland Security said Allen is charged with conspiracy to deprive rights.
Bondi also said Kelly was arrested after he had publicly challenged the Department of Justice to take action.
Officials tied the arrests to the disruption of a Sunday service at Cities Church in St. Paul. Video posted online appeared to show activists entering the service and shouting at congregants, including children.
“Minutes ago at my direction, HSI and FBI agents executed an arrest in Minnesota,” Bondi wrote on X, adding that Armstrong allegedly played a key role in organizing what she described as a coordinated attack on the church.
Bondi later posted that a second arrest had been made, stating Allen was taken into custody. “We will share more updates as they become available,” she added. “Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP.”
Armstrong, whose website describes her as a civil rights lawyer and “scholar-activist,” was described by Bondi as an organizer of the group that entered the church during the service. Allen, a member of the St. Paul School Board, was also described by authorities as helping organize the protest.
Bondi also said Armstrong continued publicly criticizing people connected with the church afterward, including alleging in a social media post that one of the church’s pastors had a “conflict of interest” due to work connected to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In a Facebook post, Armstrong claimed one of the church’s pastors is a leader at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The demonstration was described as part of broader protests across the Twin Cities against a surge of federal immigration enforcement officials, tied to allegations of widespread fraud in the state.
Separately, the article notes Armstrong has drawn attention in the past for activism and political statements, including helping organize boycotts against Target after the company scaled back diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
In a September 26 post, Armstrong praised Joanne Chesimard—also known as Assata Shakur—who was convicted in connection with the 1977 killing of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster, calling her “a brave, wise, powerful, and revolutionary Black woman.”
