Judges Refuse DOJ Request to Detain Leftist Protesters Who Stormed Minnesota Church

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In a Democrat thugocracy, you can arrest a President or a 70 year old grandmother silently praying outside an abortion clinic, but attacking a church? All good.

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Two federal judges rejected the Department of Justice’s request to detain three left-wing protesters charged in connection with the invasion of Cities Church, ordering them released while their cases proceed. U.S. District Judge Laura M. Provinzino ruled that prosecutors failed to show detention was warranted for Nekima Valdez Levy-Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, finding insufficient factual or legal support to classify the incident as a crime of violence; a federal magistrate judge separately released William Scott Kelly. The charges rely on the FACE Act, which—while historically applied to abortion facilities—also covers houses of worship. The rulings came days after Attorney General Pam Bondi announced arrests by FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, vowing to protect churches. The protest was sparked by opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and livestreamed by Don Lemon, after activists claimed a church pastor also worked for ICE.

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Judges Reject DOJ Request to Detain Leftist Protesters Accused of Invading Minnesota Church

By: Elizabeth Weibe, Breitbart, January 23, 2026;

Two judges blocked requests from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to detain three of the leftist protesters accused of invading a Minnesota church.

According to NBC News, U.S. District Judge Laura M. Provinzino issued an order regarding Nekima Valdez Levy-Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, while a “federal magistrate judge” ordered William Scott Kelly, another protester, be released.

Judge Provinzino claimed that DOJ lawyers did not “demonstrate that a detention hearing is warranted, or that detention is otherwise appropriate.”:

U.S. District Judge Laura M. Provinzino wrote in her order for two of the protesters, Nekima Valdez Levy-Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, that Justice Department lawyers failed to “demonstrate that a detention hearing is warranted, or that detention is otherwise appropriate.”

The judge found the Trump administration offered “no factual or legal support” to support their contention that this was a “crime of violence.” The third protester, William Scott Kelly, was separately ordered released by a federal magistrate judge.

Armstrong, Allen, and Kelly were charged by criminal complaint in a case that involves an unknown number of defendants. Because not all the defendants are in custody, the criminal affidavit, a sworn statement by an officer used to establish cause for an arrest, is redacted. The case cites the FACE Act, a federal statute that has historically been used to protect reproductive facilities, but also contains provisions that cover houses of worship.

Amy Furr reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi had announced that Armstrong and Allen, two of the leftist protesters accused of being involved in the storming of Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, had been arrested.

“Minutes ago at my direction, @HSI_HQ and @FBI agents executed an arrest in Minnesota,” Bondi wrote in a post on X on Thursday. “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.”

“UPDATE: A second arrest has been made at my direction,” Bondi wrote in another post. “Chauntyll Louisa Allen has been taken into custody.”

“More to come,” Bondi added. “WE WILL PROTECT OUR HOUSES OF WORSHIP.”

Bondi’s announcement came days after a crowd of protesters invaded Cities Church in protest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Former CNN host Don Lemon — who livestreamed a YouTube video of the protesters in the church, explained that the protesters had found out that one of the pastors of the church also allegedly worked for ICE.



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