Two well-known activists were arrested by federal agents in Minneapolis on Thursday, January 22, days after they disrupted a Cities Church service. David Easterwood, the church’s pastor, is also the St. Paul ICE field office director.
The activists chanted “ICE out!” and “Justice for Renee Good”, condemning the “dual roles” that Easterwood plays in the city.
The Department of Justice characterized the protest as violent, claiming “we do not tolerate attacks on places of worship”. They have suggested charges like conspiracy and obstruction of the right to worship.
For the Black community in the Twin Cities, however, Chauntyll Allen and Nekima Levy Armstrong’s arrests provoked an explosion of outrage. They say the activists were targeted for their political opposition rather than for committing any crime.
“Today they tried to frighten Chauntyll and Nekima,” said community organizer Raeisha Williams, at a press conference at the federal building where the detained activists were arraigned.
“We are not afraid. We will stand up for our rights and our community. We will not bow down and we will not hide.”
Although a federal judge ordered their release, ruling that neither posed a threat to public safety, prosecutors immediately appealed the decision, keeping both activists jailed at Sherburne County. William Kelly, another community member present at the protest, was also arrested and detained on January 22.
Repression is coming, resistance is urgent
The arrests, leaders say, are a direct attack on freedom of speech and basic constitutional rights, as well as a sign of what the future of the Trump administration holds for communities across the country. With more urgency than ever, Black leaders in the Twin Cities called on the whole nation to renew its commitment to fighting ICE and the Trump administration.
Press conference demanding the release of three detained activists in St. Paul. Photo: Devin B. Martinez
“Extrajudicial murders and abductions. This is coming to a city near you,” said Rod Adams, executive director of the New Justice Project Minnesota, during the press conference.
“I say get ready. Get ready to fight. Get ready to organize. And get ready to resist.”
The federal lobby was packed wall-to-wall with about a hundred people, many raising a single clenched fist as leaders spoke. The crowd gathered within hours of the arrests, demanding the release of the beloved activists and expressing a collective resolve for resistance.
“Choke down on that fear. Choke down on the idea that you are not enough for this moment,” said Adams. “Because if you are listening to this and you understand what’s happening right now in this country – we need you to step up! Because it’s our time to fight. And we will win.”
Cheers and applause echoed in the building constantly during the press conference. Throughout the event, Williams represented the community’s anger with one clear message for ICE and US President Trump:
“Don’t come to Minnesota cuz you’ll fuck around and find out!”
Criminalization of political opposition
“This is not a legitimate prosecution. This is a political persecution,” said Minneapolis civil rights attorney Jordan Kushner, who represented Armstrong in the initial hearing on Thursday, January 22.
They treated them like murderers or kidnappers, as if protesting at a church makes someone a danger to the community, he added.
The legal counsel emphasized a total departure from any formal process or professional investigation mandated in these cases. Attorney General Pam Bondi initially declared the arrests through posts on X.
Kushner went on to slam the Trump administration: “This is fascism right at work … Where you go to jail, to prison. Because you exercise your first amendment right to criticize the government. In this case, to speak out against a government official, who is part of that church.”
He argues that with the arrests of Allen and Armstrong, the federal operations in the Twin Cities seem to have gone a step farther than violence, and become a force for direct political repression.
“This is not about making the community safe. This is actually about harming the community and making it dangerous for anyone that opposes this fascist regime,” said Kushner.
The White House went as far as to publish what organizers describe as an AI-altered image of Allen crying during her arrest. Kushner, Allen’s family, and organizers say the image presents a false narrative and that Allen remained “calm, composed, and rational” during her arrest.
For organizers, the arrests marked more than an isolated act of retaliation. They crystallized the political moment. What began as outrage over Renee Good’s killing has rapidly evolved into a broader confrontation with state repression, one that Black leaders say cannot be met with symbolic gestures or isolated protests alone.
Black leaders call for a general strike as the way forward
Rod Adams, executive director of the New Justice Project Minnesota. Photo: Gary Inman
Although local Democratic officials aimed strong words at ICE after Renee Good’s murder, Black organizers expressed criticism at the “duplicity” of these same officials for not ordering the arrest of Good’s killer, agent Jonathan Ross. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey immediately called for the release of Allen and Armstrong on Thursday. However, he has yet to call for agent Ross to be taken into custody.
Rod Adams spoke to Peoples Dispatch after the press conference about how this moment calls for different tactics. Methods that can leverage the “power of the people” against ICE and Trump’s far-right agenda.
“Race is on the surface but underneath that is class,” said Adams.
“The only way you can get someone like Donald Trump, this federal government and these billionaires that stand behind them, and these corporations is to affect the economy.”
As Minnesota builds towards what is becoming a historic general strike on Friday, January 23, Adams makes it clear that the call extends far beyond the Twin Cities.
Read more: ICE and fire: momentum surges in Minnesota toward a general strike against Trump’s agenda
“We are also asking people all over the country not to go to work, not to go to school, and not to go shopping. Shut this country down until the people who deserve justice get it.”
The Black struggle has traditionally been a flashpoint of resistance and progressive change in the United States. Just like in many periods in history, the ICE terror being seen in Minneapolis today and the broader far-right agenda coming down from the White House is being interpreted as an urgent call to action.
“I’m speaking directly to Black people. If we are not standing up in this moment, we will never see liberation. If you don’t see your brother’s struggle as your struggle, you can’t claim to care about liberation. You can’t claim to care about freedom.”
Allen and Armstrong’s arrests are widely understood not as an endpoint, but an opening. One that demands sustained resistance rooted in solidarity, courage, and commitment.
“Stand up. Fight back. Find an organization. Find your neighbor … They’re coming. And will you be ready?”
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