FBI and Homeland Security arrest three protesters who disrupted Minneapolis church service

Federal agents from Homeland Security and the FBI arrested three protesters — Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen and William Kelly — in connection with a demonstration that disrupted Sunday service at Cities Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday on social media.

Meanwhile, a federal judge dismissed a criminal complaint against journalist Don Lemon, who said he was at the church protest because he was reporting on it, according to a source familiar with the matter, who described Bondi as “enraged” by the decision.

Protesters, along with others involved in the demonstration, objected to the existence of a pastor who they say works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Several protest organizers were calling for the resignation of David Easterwood, the church’s pastor, who they said is also acting director of a local ICE office in St. Paul. In that role, Easterwood spoke alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about ICE activity in October, according to video from KARE 11, an NBC affiliate in Minneapolis.

Noem shared a photo of Armstrong’s arrest on social media on Thursday, saying she was being held on conspiracy charges for playing “a key role in orchestrating the religious riots in St. Paul, Minnesota.”

“Religious freedom is the foundation of the United States – there is no First Amendment right to stop someone from practicing their religion,” Noem said.

Jordan Kushner, Armstrong’s attorney, told NBC News in a phone call Thursday afternoon that his client was “arrested for organizing a peaceful, nonviolent protest at a church.”

Kushner said Armstrong and the protesters at the demonstration “were engaged in an exercise of free speech.”

Justice Department officials said they were continuing the investigation based on the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which covers reproductive health services as well as places of worship, as part of a compromise reached by lawmakers following several killings of abortion doctors.

“We haven’t seen the charges yet,” Kushner said, adding that Armstrong, currently in custody at the federal courthouse, had not yet received official documents about the charges against her.

In a social media post, DHS said Allen “has been charged with conspiracy to deprive her of rights for her role in the St. Paul Church riots.”

NBC News reached out to Allen for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Videos of Sunday’s protest inside the church showed dozens of demonstrators marching through the building chanting “ICE out” and “David Easterwood, out now.”

In a statement Tuesday, the Church of the Cities condemned the protest, saying protesters “accosted members of our congregation, frightened children and created a scene marked by intimidation and threats. Such conduct is shameful, illegal and will not be tolerated.” The Church added that it was “evaluating next steps with our legal counsel.”

The scenes sparked intense reactions online and from Trump administration officials, prompting the Justice Department to open an investigation on Monday.

In a livestream with Lemon, Armstrong said, “They can’t claim to be a house of God while harboring someone who orders ICE agents to wreak havoc in our community and killed Renee Good!”

Armstrong, who is also an ordained reverend and civil rights attorney, told NBC News on Monday that the church invited them and so they took it as an “opportunity for dialogue” and wanted to educate the congregation about who Easterwood is, so they can decide if they feel comfortable continuing to bring their families to that congregation.

The arrests came after protests intensified across Minnesota following the fatal shooting of Good by an ICE officer on January 7.