Woman arrested on Easter Sunday outside St. Paul's Cities Church, site of anti-ICE protest involving Don Lemon
Police in St. Paul, Minnesota, say officers arrested a woman who was "disrupting" Easter Sunday services at Cities Church, the site where an anti-immigration enforcement protest in January led to federal prosecutors charging dozens of demonstrators and some journalists.
Police say several officers were "working contracted overtime" Sunday morning at the church, located off Summit Avenue and South Saratoga Street, where "a group of protesters" was "using a blow-horn and yelling loudly."
Around 8:35 a.m., police say all but one protester complied with officers' "numerous announcements" to stop disrupting the service under threat of possible citations and arrests.
Police say the woman, who has not been identified, was "arrested by officers for interference with religious observance."
Protesters have regularly gathered outside the church during services since Jan. 18, when several demonstrators and journalists — including former CNN host Don Lemon and Georgia Fort — entered the building during Sunday services in protest against one of its pastors, David Easterwood, who is the acting field director of ICE's St. Paul office.
Shortly after that protest, Lemon, Fort, local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong and several others were arrested and charged by the U.S. Department of Justice — then led by Pam Bondi — for allegedly violating the FACE Act, which federal prosecutors say outlaws the intimidation or interference of people exercising their constitutional freedom to practice religion.
Legal experts, however, say the charges will likely be dropped due to the lack of precedence for tying the protection of worshippers to the FACE Act, which was passed in 1994 to bolster protections for women seeking safe access to reproductive health clinics.