After days of public outrage and mounting pressure from Americans demanding accountability, the Department of Justice has finally moved to uphold the rule of law following a shocking attack on a Christian church in Minnesota. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced this week that federal authorities have begun arresting the left-wing activists responsible for storming Cities Church in St. Paul, a brazen act that targeted worshippers during a Sunday service.
The incident, which took place on the morning of January 18, stunned the nation. A mob of radical activists descended on Cities Church after leftist social media figures spread unverified claims that the church’s pastor, David Easterwood, was secretly serving as a regional Field Office Director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The accusation, never substantiated, was enough to whip activists into a frenzy.
What followed was an outright assault on religious freedom. Protesters barged into the church, disrupted services, and harassed congregants—behavior that appears to directly violate the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which also protects houses of worship from intimidation and obstruction.
For days, critics questioned whether the Biden-era culture of selective enforcement would continue. On Thursday morning, however, Attorney General Bondi made it clear that this administration would not look the other way.
“Minutes ago at my direction, @HSI_HQ and @FBI agents executed an arrest in Minnesota,” Bondi posted on X, signaling that federal law enforcement had stepped in where local leaders failed.
Bondi identified the first individual taken into custody as Nekima Levy Armstrong, a well-known left-wing agitator who allegedly played a central role in organizing what officials described as a coordinated attack on the church. Bondi’s message was unmistakable: “Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP.”
Less than half an hour later, Bondi provided another update—confirming that a second arrest had been made. Chauntyll Louisa Allen was taken into custody, also in connection with the church attack. “WE WILL PROTECT OUR HOUSES OF WORSHIP,” Bondi added, punctuating the statement with a prayer emoji that resonated with many Americans who feel their faith is increasingly under siege.
FBI Director Kash Patel reinforced the seriousness of the charges, confirming that both arrests were tied to alleged violations of the FACE Act. “This morning FBI and partners executed an arrest of Nekima Levy Armstrong,” Patel stated, later adding that Allen was also taken into custody for targeting Cities Church.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who oversees the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, applauded the action with a message that quickly went viral among conservatives: “Our dial is set to FAFO,” a blunt reminder that actions have consequences—even for politically connected activists.
Bondi had telegraphed this response days earlier, after personally speaking with Pastor Easterwood. At the time, she warned that intimidation of Christians and attacks on law enforcement would be met with the “full force of federal law.”
For many Americans, these arrests mark a long-overdue shift. Peaceful protest is one thing; storming a church, harassing families, and attempting to intimidate believers is another entirely. With these arrests, the DOJ has sent a clear message: no mob, no matter how politically fashionable, is above the law.
