Civil Rights Leaders Demand Charges Dropped for Anti-ICE Protesters

At a press conference held Tuesday outside the Western District Police Station in Saint Paul, advocates demanded accountability from local law enforcement and an end to the criminalization of dissent.

Civil rights leaders and community members are calling for all charges to be dropped against Minnesotans arrested while protesting and documenting during Operation Metro Surge.

“We are asking for charges to be dismissed against all who stood up against the authoritarianism of the Trump administration,” said civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong. “These individuals are on the right side of history. We demand justice, accountability, and an end to the criminalization of peaceful protest.”

The call comes following the dismissal of charges against, Emily Phillips, a peaceful demonstrator arrested by Saint Paul Police on Easter Sunday while she was protesting near Cities Church. She was held overnight in jail, facing four misdemeanor charges for violating noise rules and interrupting a religious observation. By Monday morning, a judge dismissed the charges, finding no probable cause.

“Peaceful protest is not a crime — it is a cornerstone of our democracy,” Emily said after her release. “We will not be intimidated into silence.”

Emily Phillips, seen here leaving jail, was one of about a dozen people protesting during Easter services outside Cities Church, the same site of a Jan. 18 protest after civil rights and community leaders learned that pastor David Easterwood led ICE’s St. Paul field office. Photo credit: Chris Juhn

Advocates say Emily’s arrest is part of a broader pattern targeting individuals who protest ICE operations and federal immigration policies.

“This case should never have been brought,” said civil rights attorney and Racial Justice Network founder Nekima Levy Armstrong. “Emily Phillips was exercising her constitutional right to peacefully protest. Instead of protecting that right, St. Paul Police chose to criminalize it.”

Community leaders also highlighted a growing number of prosecutions tied to anti-ICE protests. According to organizers, more than 200 individuals across the state are currently facing federal charges related to demonstrations opposing immigration enforcement efforts, including the Righteous 39, charged in connection with a January 18 protest inside Cities Church.

Monique Cullars-Doty, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota and part of the Righteous 39, said Phillips’ case reflects a troubling trend.

“What happened to Emily is not an isolated incident,” she said. “It is part of a broader pattern of targeting people who are standing up for immigrant communities and speaking truth to power. Peaceful protests deserve protection, not criminalization.”

Calls for Accountability and Policy Change

Advocates made reference to the November ICE raid on Saint Paul’s East Side that left neighbors terrorized and resulted in injury to peaceful observers and members of the press after Saint Paul Police deployed tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and pepper ball munitions.

They said that instance, along with Saint Paul police arresting Emily on Easter, shows that local law enforcement is playing a role in suppressing dissent and are urging city officials to intervene. They called on Mayor Kaohly Her to publicly address the incident and implement measures to prevent similar arrests in the future.