Activist Nekima Levy Armstrong says White House's altered arrest photo of her was "diabolical"
Activist Nekima Levy Armstrong is among the activists scheduled to appear in federal court Friday on charges of interrupting a St. Paul worship service last month.
Levy Armstrong and the eight other defendants in the indictment are scheduled to be arraigned. They were arrested by federal agents and charged with violating the FACE Act, a civil rights law that prohibits two or more people from conspiring to interfere with constitutionally protected rights, like the freedom of religion.
CBS News spoke with several legal experts who predict the charges will likely be dismissed, citing flaws in the FACE Act.
Levy Armstrong says she was compelled to protest at this church due to her own faith.
"The reality is, as a Christian who is also an ordained reverend, in my tradition, it is important to speak up when you see injustice," said Levy Armstrong.
The protestors targeted the church because one of its pastors, David Easterwood, runs the local Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office.
"How is it that a person can serve as a pastor of Cities Church in St. Paul, but also serve as the ICE director in St. Paul at the Whipple Federal Building? Condoning the behavior of ICE agents and blaming the protesters, saying that the protesters are aggressive?" said Levy Armstrong.
Hours after she was arrested, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem released a picture of the arrest. Then just 30 minutes later, the White House posted an altered image of the arrest depicting Levy Armstrong with exaggerated features, including darkened skin and weeping.
"They had tears coming out of my eyes and made me look hysterical. Anyone who has seen me as a lawyer on the front lines as a former law professor, they've seen me composed. So for the White House to flip the entire narrative through that doctored image is not only unconscionable, but it's diabolical. It was unnecessary. This wasn't just a meme. This was a way of characterizing me as a Black woman," said Levy Armstrong.
In response to CBS News' request for comment on whether the photo was altered, the White House press office sent a link to an X post by White House spokesman Kaelan Dorr referring to the post as a "meme." Critics say it's unlike any other meme posted by the White House because the image looks realistic.
Levy Armstrong says in addition to fighting the charges against her, she's looking into pursuing legal action over the doctored photo.