Judge tosses one St. Paul anti‑ICE church protest case
A federal judge has dismissed all charges with prejudice against Heather Denae Lewis, one of 30 people indicted over a Jan. 18 protest inside a St. Paul church targeting pastor and acting ICE field director David Easterwood, meaning the government cannot refile against her. The terse order, filed Friday, gives no explanation for why Lewis was cut loose while others remain charged under the FACE Act and KKK Act. In a separate filing the same day, the magistrate judge overseeing early stages of the case blasted federal prosecutors for producing "zero" discovery months into the prosecution, calling the government’s failure to turn over evidence "unacceptable" given how aggressively it brought the case. The protest, which halted a church service as demonstrators demanded Easterwood’s resignation, has already led to federal charges against at least seven protesters and two journalists, including organizer Nekima Levy‑Armstrong and St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Louisa Allen. For Twin Cities residents watching Operation Metro Surge spill into local churches, schools and newsrooms, the combination of a dismissal with prejudice and a judge’s public rebuke raises real questions about how solid the remaining cases are and whether this prosecution is about enforcing the law or chilling dissent against ICE.
📌 Key Facts
- Defendant Heather Denae Lewis had all charges dismissed with prejudice in federal court Friday, barring refiling.
- Lewis was among 30 people indicted in late February over a Jan. 18 anti‑ICE protest inside a St. Paul church targeting pastor and acting ICE field director David Easterwood.
- A magistrate judge stated in a separate filing that the government has produced "zero" discovery for defendants months into the case and called that failure "unacceptable."
- At least seven protesters and two journalists, including Nekima Levy‑Armstrong, St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Louisa Allen, Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, still face FACE Act and KKK Act charges tied to the protest.
📊 Relevant Data
Minnesota's Somali population is approximately 107,000, representing about 2% of the state's population as of 2024.
By the numbers: Minnesota's Somali population, according to census data — KTTC
The percentage of Minnesotans with Somali ancestry who are not citizens dropped to 9% in 2023, meaning 91% are citizens.
Most Somali people in America and Minnesota are citizens — Minnesota Reformer
Somali immigrants in Minnesota commit crime at a rate two to five times higher than natives, based on apples-to-apples comparisons.
Yes, Somali Immigrants Commit More Crime Than Natives — City Journal
Black adults in Minnesota have an imprisonment rate of 1,094 per 100,000 compared to 122 per 100,000 for White adults as of recent data.
Minnesota | Incarceration Trends — Vera Institute of Justice
The majority of Somalis in Minnesota arrived as refugees fleeing the civil war in Somalia in the 1990s, resettled through U.S. refugee programs and family networks.
How Minnesota became a hub for Somali immigrants in the U.S. — NPR
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