Cities Church lead pastor Jonathan Parnell has responded to the city of St. Paul’s refusal to charge the anti-ICE invaders who stormed a church service on Jan. 18.
“According to the St. Paul City Attorney’s logic, it is perfectly fine for agitators to invade a mosque, a cathedral, or a temple, intimidate the families and children inside, and shut down their religious gathering. Just call it a ‘protest,’” Parnell said in his statement. He went on to say that he questions if the city’s commitment to the protection of religious people includes Christians.
St. Paul City Attorney Irene Kao’s office released a statement to the media Tuesday outlining that she will not be charging the church invaders.
“Our office has a legal and ethical obligation to file charges only when the available evidence establishes probable cause and supports a reasonable likelihood of conviction beyond a reasonable doubt,” the statement said. “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.”
“The right to peacefully protest is protected, as is the right to exercise one’s religious beliefs. Balancing these equally important rights is paramount to our decision today,” the statement added.
The individuals who mobbed the church, including Don Lemon and Nekima Levy Armstrong, are still facing federal charges.
The church’s attorneys with True North Legal, Renee Carlson and Doug Wardlow, also issued statements condemning the city’s actions.
“By wrongly characterizing the invasion and takeover of a worship service as First Amendment-protected conduct, the City Attorney’s office sends an unmistakable signal: the law will bend for those whose cause aligns with the politics of those in power,” Wardlow said.
Wardlow said that the decision by the St. Paul attorney treats the church like it’s a public sidewalk, “as if the sanctuary were an open forum that anyone may seize mid-service, rather than private property where a congregation has the right to worship undisturbed.”
“The St. Paul City Attorney assures the public that violence, property destruction, or threats to public safety would have been prosecuted, but that draws an arbitrary line that conveniently excludes statutory charges for other kinds of unlawful conduct,” Carlson said in her statement. “Just because the agitators didn’t break any windows doesn’t mean they didn’t break the law. The City Attorney’s assurance that the rights of religious people in St. Paul are protected means nothing when the governing authorities charged with enforcing those protections refuse to uphold the law.”
In a post on X, Parnell asked if St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her included Evangelical Christians in her commitment “to listening and to acting and to lifting St. Paul higher to its full potential.”
The city of Saint Paul has officially determined the January 18 invasion of our church and the desecration of our worship to be a “peaceful protest.”
Here’s my question for Mayor Her: pic.twitter.com/DscBzqKCzU
— Jonathan Parnell (@jonathanparnell) June 3, 2026
Cities Church was invaded by anti-ICE agitators on Jan. 18 who were alleging that one of the church’s pastors works for ICE. The church has since endured weekly protests of its Sunday morning services, with protesters screaming profanities and wielding dildos at attending families.
Mayor Her did not respond to Alpha News’ request for comment about Cities Church.
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
