By J. Patrick Coolican, Minnesota Reformer
Nekima Levy-Armstrong, a longtime Minneapolis civil rights activist and lawyer, and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, a St. Paul School Board member, have been arrested for their role in a protest against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown at Cities Church in St. Paul.
“Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi attorney wrote on X Thursday, announcing the arrests.
The demonstrators were there Sunday because the pastor, David Easterwood, is an official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Easterwood, who is a named defendant in a class action lawsuit filed by ACLU of Minnesota seeking redress for ICE’s aggressive tactics, was not leading the service that day.
Armstrong and the protesters sough to point out the contradiction between working for ICE and preaching the Christian Gospel.
“You cannot lead a congregation while directing an agency whose actions have cost lives and inflicted fear in our communities,” she said Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. “When officials protect armed agents, repeatedly refuse meaningful investigation into killings like Renée Good’s, and signal they may pursue peaceful protesters and journalists, that is not justice — it is intimidation.”
Gov. Tim Walz has said he doesn’t support protesting in houses of worship: “The governor has repeatedly and unequivocally urged protesters to do so peacefully,” Walz’s office said in a statement to Fox News. “While people have a right to speak out, he in no way supports interrupting a place of worship.”
The Star Tribune reported that the church is considering legal action.
This article first appeared in the Minnesota Reformer. Republished under Creative Commons 4.0
“You cannot lead a congregation while directing an agency whose actions ….” Nope. You do not get to say “cannot” – that is not your decision that is the decision of this church. Going into a church to begin hysteria and yelling is wrong and no need to tolerate this.
“When officials protect armed agents, repeatedly refuse meaningful investigation into killings like Renée Good’s, and signal they may pursue peaceful protesters and journalists, that is not justice — it is intimidation.” NLA
What about our Governor declaring Minnesota a sanctuary state? Does he actually have the authority to do such a thing? And when the thousands of illegal immigrants who make their way to Minnesota do not want to leave voluntarily, who do law abiding US citizens have to turn to for help? The Biden administration seemed to just open the gate and let everyone through that showed up with little or no vetting.
I do not like or want to see the violence that is taking place in Minneapolis. But our country seems to be at a crossroads of some kind.