Minnesota activist releases video of arrest after manipulated White House version
A Minnesota activist who was charged for her role in an anti-immigration enforcement protest at a church has released her own video of her arrest, after the White House posted a manipulated image online.
apnews.com
24 Jan 2026 ~~ By Jack Brook and Sarah Raza
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota activist who was charged for her role in an anti-immigration enforcement protest at a church released her own video of her arrest Friday after the White House posted a manipulated image online.
The White House on Thursday posted a
picture on its X page of civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong crying with her hands behind her back as she was escorted by a blurred person wearing a badge. The photo was captioned in all caps: “Arrested far-left agitator Nekima Levy Armstrong for orchestrating church riots in Minnesota.”
A photo posted by Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem’s account showed the same image with Levy Armstrong wearing a neutral expression.
Levy Armstrong, who
was arrested with at least two others Thursday for an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a church where an ICE official also serves as a pastor, released her own video. Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Allen, a St. Paul school board member who was also arrested in connection to the protest, were both released Friday, according to a post by Levy Armstrong’s organization, the Racial Justice Network. Their attorneys declined to comment.
~Snip~
At no point in the more than seven-minute video -- which shows Levy Armstrong being handcuffed and led into a government vehicle -- did Levy Armstrong appear to cry. Instead, she talked with agents about her arrest.
“You know that this is a significant abuse of power,” she said. “Because I refuse to be silent in the face of brutality from ICE.”
“I’m not in here to get in a political debate,” the agent filming said.
In an audio message that Levy Armstrong’s spokesperson shared with The Associated Press, Levy Armstrong said the video of her arrest exposes that the Trump administration had used AI to manipulate images of her arrest.
The Department of Homeland Security didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Commentary:
Strange that they didn’t release the entire 7-minute video. We’re supposed to just trust the ASS Press to accurately describe it and to examine the video to see if any part was edited out?
Invading a church is not a legal act of protest thanks to the FACE act that made it illegalt.
This was done to protect Black churches in the South during the civil rights era from KKK invasions and attacks designed to intimidate Black voters back then.
The face act applies to all churches including churches were the congregation is entirely white.
It's ironic that in trying to overthrow our capitalist system she employs communist tactics used during the Russian revolution where communists invaded and burned down churches.
What I am interested is honest reporting. Which is what we are not getting, especially from the news media.
I believe Hank Williams Jr had a song called “Attitude Adjustment “. All these Minnesota idiots could use a few of them.
