Two Women Released from Detention After Anti-ICE Church Protest in Minnesota
A federal judge has ordered the release of Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Allen, two women who were arrested and charged for their role in an anti-ICE demonstration that disrupted Sunday church services in St Paul, Minnesota. The women were released on Friday after a judge ruled that the government had failed to demonstrate that detention was warranted.
The pair's arrest sparked outrage when a digitally altered image of Armstrong's arrest was posted on social media by the White House, falsely portraying her as crying and darkening her skin. However, this image was quickly debunked by news outlets, including The Guardian, which first exposed the manipulated photo.
Video footage recorded by Armstrong's husband Marques during his arrest shows the reality being vastly different from what was portrayed in the manipulated image. In the video, Armstrong is seen asking agents why they were recording her detention and expressing concern about being treated with dignity and respect.
A third activist involved in the church protest, William Kelly, has also been ordered to be released by a judge who ruled that he posed no danger to the public.
The release of the three activists comes after widespread condemnation of the government's actions against the anti-ICE protesters. Armstrong's non-profit organization, Racial Justice Network, has stated that the incident is part of a broader pattern of "political persecution" for speaking out against authoritarianism and fascism.
In an audio message shared with the Associated Press, Armstrong said that the video of her arrest exposes the use of AI to manipulate images of her arrest, further highlighting the government's tactics in fabricating propaganda. She also stated that she and other activists will not be intimidated into silence as they continue to speak out against the Trump administration's policies.
A federal judge has ordered the release of Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Allen, two women who were arrested and charged for their role in an anti-ICE demonstration that disrupted Sunday church services in St Paul, Minnesota. The women were released on Friday after a judge ruled that the government had failed to demonstrate that detention was warranted.
The pair's arrest sparked outrage when a digitally altered image of Armstrong's arrest was posted on social media by the White House, falsely portraying her as crying and darkening her skin. However, this image was quickly debunked by news outlets, including The Guardian, which first exposed the manipulated photo.
Video footage recorded by Armstrong's husband Marques during his arrest shows the reality being vastly different from what was portrayed in the manipulated image. In the video, Armstrong is seen asking agents why they were recording her detention and expressing concern about being treated with dignity and respect.
A third activist involved in the church protest, William Kelly, has also been ordered to be released by a judge who ruled that he posed no danger to the public.
The release of the three activists comes after widespread condemnation of the government's actions against the anti-ICE protesters. Armstrong's non-profit organization, Racial Justice Network, has stated that the incident is part of a broader pattern of "political persecution" for speaking out against authoritarianism and fascism.
In an audio message shared with the Associated Press, Armstrong said that the video of her arrest exposes the use of AI to manipulate images of her arrest, further highlighting the government's tactics in fabricating propaganda. She also stated that she and other activists will not be intimidated into silence as they continue to speak out against the Trump administration's policies.
just saw this news about those two women getting released from detention... so crazy how the gov tried to manipulate their images online 
but the reality is that they were treated unfairly, and it's wild they had to go through that for standing up against ICE 
and all this happens in Minnesota where you'd think people would be more chill about it... anyways, glad they're out now 
the fact that two women were arrested and charged for standing up against an institution that's supposed to protect us all just goes to show how messed up we've become. I mean, what's next? Are we gonna start arresting people who speak out against injustice? it's like, what even is the point of having a government if they're just gonna silence dissent?
that digitally altered photo of Nekima Levy Armstrong was like, a whole other level of gaslighting. I mean, who does this stuff? and then to have it debunked by news outlets... it's like, a reminder that there are still some good people out there trying to tell the truth.
Can't believe what just happened! Those two women, Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Allen, were totally wronged by the government's fake news stunt 
. I mean, come on, who tries to darken someone's skin and make them look like they're crying in a manipulated image? That's some serious Photoshop skills, but also super creepy 
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. I'm glad the judge saw through their attempt to silence her and the others with propaganda 
. Armstrong's husband Marques recorded the whole thing on video, so we got a real glimpse of what was going on behind the scenes 
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. still really concerning about how AI is being used to manipulate images and spread propaganda... gotta stay vigilant and speak out against this kind of thing 
that was just plain silly. and then they got caught out by news outlets and their own video footage showed a completely different story. i mean, you can't fake dignity and respect in the way they tried to.
Like, I get why the women were arrested for disrupting church services, but using AI to manipulate their image and release them on a technicality just feels kinda sketchy 
. And what's with the government's tactics here? Trying to silence activists by manipulating images and fabricating propaganda? That's just not cool 
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