More People Are Indicted For The City Church Protests + Is Religion A Shield For Anything?

A few days ago according to news reports there were more indictments against protesters at the City Church:

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced charges Friday against 30 more people who are accused of civil rights violations in a January protest inside a Minnesota church where a pastor works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Bondi said on social media that 25 people were in custody and more arrests would follow. The new indictment comes a month after independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort and prominent local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong were charged for their alleged roles in the protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.

According to the reports there are a total of 39 people that have been charged/indicted for interfering with religious rights and freedoms. 

People will say this next question is hyperbolic in nature, but does religious freedom protect those who are complicit in systems that are racist, xenophobic, illegal, and allowed agents to murder and perform multiple aggravated assaults against non-violent persons which have all been challenged, and took away civil rights of citizens, and deported legal immigrants?

I don't think that anyone doing a peaceful protest, even in a church and during a church service, should be indicted for that protest. To be indicted at a federal level is part and parcel for this administration and its watch dogs in order to use religion to cover up illegal activities. 

Renee Good's Memorial Doused With Gasoline. Police Are Investigating. Some People Just Don't Get It.

Picture By Ryan Vizzions

From multiple news reports and social news feeds, someone (or maybe multiple persons) poured gasoline on a wood pile and fence near Renee Good's memorial in South Minneapolis on Portland Avenue. While the memorial is intact and did not get a lot of damage according to the reports--everyone got lucky that this was not worse for the houses nearby and those watching over the memorial. We can only hope that whoever was responsible for this will get caught and brought to justice.

While many understand the abhorrent nature of this action, there are others making insensitive and callous remarks like these two commenters Joel Ferch and Ray Keiper:

Or this one from Nick Christensen

And then there are these from Dane Blomquist and Annie Morgan:

And just to show there's no shortage of people who just don't get it, here are two more comments by William Haverkorn and Lisa Guillemette:

We Will Just Be Waiting To See What Happens...

There's definitely more to talk about as far as what this has meant for us here in MN. For immigrants. For those that have already been told they are not trusted right away.

What it has done to the mental state and psyche of communities here.

The fallout of an operation that never should have happened in the first place.

But for now, like others, I am glad to hear the official statements from this week, but like others as well, don't trust what this administration and those under it are saying until we actually see it.

Because we all know what they've said before.

And again, let's not forget about Operation PARRIS, the re-evaluation of immigrants and refugees, remaining ICE agents here--but also those in other states.

This secret police needs to be stopped.

Of Course They Lied About The Shooting Involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis

From Politico:

“A joint review by ICE and the Department of Justice (DOJ) of video evidence has revealed that sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements,” Lyons said in a statement. “Both officers have been immediately placed on administrative leave pending the completion of a thorough internal investigation…. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is actively investigating these false statements.” Agents had initially said that two men — Alfredo Aljorna and Julio Sosa Celis – assaulted them with a broom and a shovel before one of them shot Sosa Celis. But that account was quickly called into question, and prosecutors now say “newly discovered evidence” contradicts the officers’ story.

From NPR:

DHS initially said the officer fired a shot to "save his life" after being "ambushed and attacked" by three immigrants with a snow shovel and a broom handle during a "targeted traffic stop." Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, the subject of the traffic stop, was injured after getting shot in the leg. Another Venezuelan man, Alfredo Aljorna, was also accused of attacking the officers. However, Minnesota U.S. Attorney Dan Rosen on Thursday dropped the charges against them.

Dropped. The. Charges.

Mayor Kaohly Her On The Recent Incident And ICE Activity In Saint Paul

From the Mayor's Facebook page:

The incident today at Selby and Western underscores the fact that ICE is still present, causing chaos, and putting residents at risk in Saint Paul. I want to thank the residents who continue to show up and keep watch over their neighbors. I also want to thank the Saint Paul Police for staying on the scene to clean up and ensure those impacted received assistance. Because of the reckless way that ICE is running their operation, one person ended up in the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, and several bystanders had their cars damaged. This is just another incident that tells us loud and clear: Operation Metro Surge needs to end immediately.

ICE Will Be Gone? It's Toned Down? Sure...Meanwhile In Saint Paul A Couple Of Hours Ago An ICE Related Crash With Three Cars

From Andrew Karre via Facebook:

The Loft Literary Center + Milkweed Books: Minnesota Writers Respond 2/26/2026

From the Loft Literary Center:

SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, Feb 26 at 6:30 p.m. Come to the Loft at Open Book for Minnesota Writers Respond: a public literary event in support of immigrant rights and in response to the current ICE crisis in our neighborhoods.

Featured writers include Curtis Sittenfeld, Michael Kleber-Diggs, Sarah Ghazal Ali, Lara Mimosa Montes, Halee Kirkwood, Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay, Claire Wahmanholm, and Jessica Nordell.

Presented in partnership with Milkweed Books. Pay-what-you-can tickets and more details coming soon.

https://loft.org/events (check back soon!)

Portland Avenue Renee Good Memorial (Photos) 2/7/2026

Below are photos taken from the memorial on Portland Avenue for Renee Good when I was visiting on 2/7/2026 one month after her death. It's a beautiful memorial and tribute guarded by those in the neighborhood. This area, while imbued with so much love, still carries a mourning and a darkness, the collective grief of a life taken too soon.

On the corner before the larger memorial there is a smaller one dedicated to Renee Good's memory and life.

view of the smaller memorial on the corner with signs and flowers.

By the main memorial at the end of the block, pictures for some of those who've died at the hands of police/agents.

A poem, by Renee Good, written on cloth and wrapped around a tree at the Portland Ave memorial.

A banner of flowers and poster.

View of the memorial with people visiting and those sitting in the background watching over the memorial.

Community visiting and going around the memorial.

One of the areas of the memorial with a "She Was Good" sign.

"You Deserved Better".

Signs surrounded by differeent arrangements of flowers.

"RENEE You should still be here with us".

A view of side from the back of the memorial with vistors coming around the front.

A collage of tributes to Renee Good and many other killed by ICE.

"Are We Great Yet?"

Wide view of the memorial towards the end of the front side.

A closeup of the front corner.

A flag at the memorial.

Posters, drawings, and flowers for Renee Good.

Visitors to the memorial.

Someone putting down a heart shaped "Rest In Power" tribute.

A teddy bear at the center of a portion of the memorial.

Signs on the sidewalk of the memorial.

A large blue "Justice for Renee Nicole Good" sign.

A section of the memorial with two heart shaped signs one reading "Justice for Renee".

MN8 + Local MN Fundraisers For Southeast Asian Families Impacted By ICE And Immigration

 

Reposting from MN8 (see the FB site here):

Southeast Asian families in Minnesota are hurting. On top of the chaotic ICE activity throughout the state, families are left struggling to make rent, provide for their little ones, and access legal help. bit.ly/MN-SEA-FUNDRAISERS

Please consider donating to our ongoing list of fundraisers for local SEA families impacted by immigration. Anything and everything helps, please share widely!

In Pictures: Renee Good Public Memorial And Ceremony At Powderhorn Park 2/7/2026

Thousands gathered at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis to grieve, mourn, and be in community, one month after the tragic loss of Renee Good at the hands of ICE for her public memorial. The memorial ceremony was led by Chief Arvol Looking Horse and followed by community singing, poetry, and more. The public memorial was in collaboration with: NDN Collective, Brave Heart Society, Indigenous Protector Movement, American Indian Movement, Freedom Trainers, Sunrise Movement, and Project South, among others. *Note that during the sacred portions of the ceremony during the memorial, it was asked to not take photos or video of those involved.

Click on an image for a larger version.

A mural on the way to Powderhorn Park.

The crowd from a distance coming into the park.

A person standing with the Minnesota flag standing at the top of the hill.

The person with the flag overlooking the public memorial from behind.

A wide view of the crowd from the top of the hill.

A close-up picture of some of the crowd to the left of the stage and ceremony.

A tipi that others could go into.

An angled view of the crowd from the back side.

One of the people in attendance with one of the signs at the public memorial reading "WOKIKSUYE EN MEMORIA".

A view of those in attendance with the park in the back.

A person there with the words "F*** ICE" on the back of their jacket.

A person at holding a memorial tribute.

A flag "Hate Has No Home Here".

Holding an Alex Pretti sign.

Listening in the back to Renée Good's sister (in the pink hat) speaking.

Renée Good's sister (in the pink hat) speaking on the stage at the public memorial.

In costume at the memorial with people holding signs around them.

In Memoria and Remembrance cloths.

Two of the volunteers at the memorial.

Picture of the crowd after the sacred portion of the ceremony.

Person attending with an "ICE Kills and Lies Get Out/Fuera ICE" sign.

At the memorial with a "No Ice Please" sign taped to their back.

A person in attendance holding a "Chinga La Migra" sign.

Holding up an "Ice Out For Good" sign against the sun.

"MN Unwavering Spirit Of Humanity".

Holding a WOKIKSUYE cloth banner after the sacred ceremony.

One of the volunteers with a safety vest reading "Peaceful Observer Dont Shoot".

Someone with a sign on their back reading "Neighbors Say ICE OUT".

Renee Good sign.

Persons holding the Renee Good signs and tributes.

Two people there holding two signs for "The People United Will Never Be Defeated" and "I.C.E. Out Of Minneapolis".

Someone holding the MN flag.

Flying a custom flag with the Minnesota Resistance Loon.

Table setup by community members for people there to get snacks, etc. towards the back of the memorial.

Stickers and smaller signs/verbiage from the table setup for community members.