The Trump administration has come under fire for misrepresenting the arrest of a well-known civil rights lawyer during an anti-immigration enforcement demonstration at a church in Minnesota. The White House shared an altered image on its official page, depicting Nekima Levy Armstrong in a state of distress with her arms restrained, which differed from the actual neutral expression she had in the original photo. Despite the manipulation, certain consistent details in both images indicated that they were not taken at separate times.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Levy Armstrong’s arrest in a social media post, followed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sharing the unaltered image of the event. Subsequently, the White House posted the doctored photo, which generated backlash from readers who pointed out the deception and attached the original picture to the post.
Levy Armstrong’s legal representative, Jordan Kushner, refuted the administration’s portrayal of the arrest, stating that his client remained calm and composed during the incident, contrary to the false depiction of her crying. Kushner mentioned that a video recorded by Levy Armstrong’s husband would soon be released to debunk the administration’s claims.
In response to the controversy surrounding the manipulated image, White House Deputy Communications Director Kaelan Dorr reiterated the administration’s commitment to upholding the law, dismissing criticisms from those defending individuals involved in criminal activities.
Following the protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, where ICE official Renee Good serves as a pastor, Levy Armstrong and others were arrested for disrupting the service with chants demanding justice for Good, who was recently killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis. The Justice Department initiated a civil rights probe in the aftermath of the incident.
While charges were filed against Levy Armstrong and others, a magistrate judge rejected the attempt to charge former CNN anchor Don Lemon in connection with the protest at the church. Lemon clarified that he was present as a journalist, not a protester, and his attorney, Abbe Lowell, affirmed that Lemon’s journalistic activities were protected by the First Amendment.
