St. Paul School Board Clerk Chauntyll Allen Arrested After Anti‑ICE Church Confrontation; State Lawmaker Demands Action

Chauntyll Allen, clerk of the St. Paul Board of Education and a prominent Black Lives Matter activist, was taken into federal custody after joining a group that entered Cities Church in Saint Paul on Jan. 18 to confront a pastor alleged to be an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. Video of the incident — much of it recorded by participants — shows protesters confronting congregants and some churchgoers fleeing the sanctuary.

Legal Status and Charges

Allen was among three people detained and has been federally charged with conspiracy to deprive others of their constitutional rights. The arrest came days after the church confrontation; court proceedings and investigation details remain pending.

Chauntyll Allen, a community activist, talks on the stage at The Commons park in front of U.S. Bank Stadium one year after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, 2021.

Responses From Officials and Allen

State Rep. Elliott Engen (R–Lino Lakes) criticized Twin Cities school boards as overly politicized and suggested Allen’s conduct underscores a broader problem. "Most of the school boards in the Twin Cities metro area... have become nothing other than activist boards," Engen told Fox News Digital. He urged prosecution and removal from the board, saying officials who engage in such actions should be convicted, prosecuted and barred from schools.

Engen: "They're no longer about serving the school, making sure that the budget is balanced, kids are served... It is a constant push towards more ideological persuasions and activism."

Allen defended her participation in an interview with TMZ, saying the confrontation "needed to be done to get the message across." She said demonstrators acted after learning — via an ACLU lawsuit — that the pastor had ties to ICE. Allen argued the pastor's alleged role in immigration enforcement constituted a threat to local immigrant communities and cited other grievances against immigration practices.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers question a man about his status on Lake Street near Karmel Mall in Minnesota on Dec. 10, 2025.

Context and Community Reaction

Footage of the event shows protesters shouting inside the church and multiple congregants leaving in distress. Former CNN host Don Lemon and others filmed portions of the incident; Lemon briefly interviewed the pastor, who asked him to leave. Allen, who lists herself as a "youth advocate and educator" on her board biography and serves on the African American Program Work Group and Equity Committee, has been publicly active since the George Floyd protests in 2020.

The St. Paul district said it is aware of the incident and is following applicable policies and procedures but declined to comment on pending legal matters. The Saint Paul Board of Education directors did not respond to requests for comment, and Allen did not return multiple requests for comment.

Wider Debate

The incident has reignited debate over the role of elected school officials, protest tactics, and how schools and communities should respond when board members engage in political activism. Supporters of Allen may view the protest as direct action against alleged abuses; critics say elected education officials should refrain from activities that disrupt public institutions, including places of worship.

As legal proceedings continue, the case highlights tensions between activism, public office responsibilities and community safety — and it has drawn attention from lawmakers and the public across Minnesota and beyond.