Anti-ICE church protesters won't be prosecuted at state level, but still face federal charges

The St. Paul City Attorney’s Office has declined to bring criminal charges against anti-ICE protesters who disrupted a Sunday service at Cities Church in January during Operation Metro Surge.City Attorney Irene Kao announced Tuesday that her office conducted a thorough review of evidence submitted by law enforcement in the Jan. 18 incident, described by federal officials as an "attack" on a house of worship, and determined that there's not enough probable to support any charges at the state level."Following a careful evaluation of the video footage, investigative reports, and other available materials, prosecutors determined that the current evidence is insufficient to meet that standard for criminal charges under Minnesota state statutes," reads a statement from Kao.Nearly 40 people are facing federal charges for their involvement in the demonstration, whose goal was to call attention to a Cities Church pastor, David Easterwood, who doubles as the director of ICE's field office in St. Paul.Among them are journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, both of whom have maintained they were doing their job of covering the news, and prominent Twin Cities activist Nekima Levy Armstrong. Google Streetview Kao added that her office's decision not to file state charges against the Cities Church protesters "should not be interpreted as an endorsement of unlawful behavior or public disorder.""The right to peacefully protest is protected, as is the right to exercise one’s religious beliefs," she said in her statement. "Balancing these equally important rights is paramount to our decision today. "However, acts of violence, property destruction, or threats to public safety – none of which occurred here – remain serious concerns and will be prosecuted when supported by admissible evidence."Bring Me The News has reached out to Cities Church for its reaction to the recent decision by the St. Paul City Attorney’s Office.The demonstration made national headlines in January, at the height of Operation Metro Surge, in between the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents.No federal charges have been filed against the agents responsible in either shooting death, but Minnesota prosecutors continue to build cases against them and others, with state charges brought upon two agents in separate incidents so far.