Release Ordered for Anti-ICE Protesters

Officials announced that two anti-ICE activists, Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntil Allen, involved in a protest at St. Paul’s Church on January 18, have been ordered to be released. Their arrest occurred during a demonstration against the church’s pastor, who was identified as an agent of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to a statement from the Racial Justice Network, the court stood firm in defending constitutional rights amid federal prosecutors’ efforts to complicate the process of their release. It noted, “Despite aggressive attempts by federal prosecutors to slow and derail the process, the court remained steadfast in its defense of constitutional rights, due process, and the rule of law.” The judge upheld an initial ruling made on January 22 that called for their release.

Levy Armstrong works as a civil rights attorney and activist, while Allen is a member of the St. Paul School Board. The protestors claimed they were peacefully demonstrating against ICE and expressed discontent with the Justice Department’s push to prosecute them.

Additionally, there was backlash following the decision not to charge former CNN anchor Don Lemon, who attended the protest but asserted he was there in a journalistic capacity. He mentioned, “When the protests started at the church, we did some journalistic work reporting on them and talking to people involved.” This statement sparked further outrage, especially after it was revealed that the wife of the magistrate judge who declined to charge Lemon holds a position as an assistant attorney general in Minnesota.

The Racial Justice Network’s statement emphasized, “Our fight is not over yet. We will continue to organize, mobilize, and litigate until all charges against all detainees are dropped and meaningful accountability is imposed for this blatant abuse of power. All power to the people. Justice will not be silent.”