Heather Danae Lewis had her federal charges dismissed after being mistakenly identified as a protester disrupting a Minnesota church service in January. Prosecutors dropped the case without explanation, marking the latest setback for the U.S. attorney's office in Minnesota, which faces an exodus of experienced prosecutors due to controversial immigration operations.

Activists had targeted Cities Church in St. Paul because ICE official David Easterwood serves as a pastor there. Lewis, an engineer with no activist history, was arrested in February after investigators linked her to the protest via cellphone tower data and a driver's license photo showing a strong resemblance to a protester captured on video. Her attorney stated the government could have avoided the error by sending her a notice of investigation.

The dismissal highlights the government's aggressive pursuit of charges against 39 defendants, including former CNN journalist Don Lemon, for disrupting the service to protest Trump's immigration policies. Judge Douglas Micko recently criticized the slow pace of evidence sharing in the case, underscoring systemic issues within the prosecution.