We speak with activist, civil rights attorney and ordained minister Nekima Levy Armstrong about her role in a protest at a St. Paul church on Sunday, where one of the pastors, David Easterwood, also leads a local ICE field office in the Twin Cities area. “I believe that if someone professes to represent the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to preach it, that they should not be allowing ICE agents to drag people out of their homes,” Levy Armstrong tells Democracy Now! She spoke from an undisclosed location after Trump officials vowed to investigate and possibly arrest the demonstrators.
Transcript
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AMY GOODMAN: We begin today’s show in Minneapolis as the city endures its third week of occupation by a force of over 3,000 federal immigration agents accused of violating human and civil rights and of fatally shooting resident Renee Good. Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino defended the agents’ actions Tuesday as, quote, “legal, ethical and moral,” unquote. As protests continue calling for ”ICE out for Good,” a play on Renee Good’s name, Vice President JD Vance will travel to Minneapolis Thursday.
This comes as the Justice Department served grand jury subpoenas on several top Democratic officials, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, accusing them of obstructing federal law enforcement activities in the state. Attorney General Ellison said in a statement Tuesday, quote, “Everything about this is highly irregular, especially the fact that this comes shortly after my office sued the Trump Administration to challenge their illegal actions within Minnesota,” he said.
Also on Tuesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department is investigating demonstrators who disrupted Sunday services at a church in St. Paul to protest one of the church’s pastors, David Easterwood, who is reportedly a top ICE official in the Twin Cities.
PROTESTERS: Justice for Renee Good! Justice for Renee Good! Justice for Renee Good! Justice for Renee Good! Justice for Renee Good! Justice for Renee Good!
AMY GOODMAN: Among those joining the protest were Black Lives Matter Minnesota co-founder Monique Cullars and longtime civil rights leader and ordained reverend Nekima Levy Armstrong.
JONATHAN PARNELL: Shame on you! Shame on you!
NEKIMA LEVY ARMSTRONG: David Easterwood is a pastor here. He is also the director of the field office for ICE in St. Paul. So, someone who claims to worship God, teaching people in this church about God, is out there overseeing ICE agents.
AMY GOODMAN: Now federal officials claim the church protest is a potential violation of the FACE Act — that’s the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which is usually used to protect entrances to abortion clinics. Homeland Security Secretary Kristy Noem told Newsmax arrests may be coming soon.
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https://www.democracynow.org/2026/1/21/nekima_levy_armstrong_minneapolis_ice_protest
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/21/us/video/ebof-nekima-levy-armstrong-st-paul-church-protest
