Protests Erupt at Minnesota Church Over ICE Enforcement Tactics

Wed Jan 21 2026 05:32:29 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating a disruption at Cities Church in St. Paul amid protests linking a pastor to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions.

Protesters from Black Lives Matter Minnesota interrupted a church service at Cities Church in St. Paul, chanting against ICE after the recent fatal shooting of a mother by an agent. The DOJ announced an investigation into the protests, emphasizing laws protecting houses of worship, while community leaders condemned ICE's actions and questioned the church's connection to federal enforcement.

MINNEAPOLIS (Civitas Global) — Tensions flared in Minnesota as protesters disrupted a church service at Cities Church in St. Paul, where a pastor is reportedly associated with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Demonstrators chanting demands for justice disrupted the service in response to the recent killing of a mother of three by an ICE agent.

The event was organized by Black Lives Matter Minnesota, which posted a livestream of the protest on social media, revealing scenes of protesters calling for ICE operations to cease and demanding justice for Renee Good, who was shot earlier this month amid heightened immigration enforcement.

In a response to the protests, the U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the actions of the protesters, citing potential violations of civil rights laws regarding disruptions in a house of worship.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon expressed concerns on social media, stating, A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest! highlighting the need to protect spaces for worship from disruptive actions.

Nekima Levy Armstrong, a local civil rights leader and protest participant, criticized the federal response, calling it a diversion from the harmful actions inflicted by ICE agents in the community.

If people are more concerned about someone coming to a church on a Sunday and disrupting business as usual than they are about the atrocities that we are experiencing in our community, then they need to check their theology and their hearts, Armstrong asserted.

The church’s pastor, David Easterwood, also leads the ICE field office allegedly involved in violent immigration enforcement tactics. Calls for accountability grew among community members and activists, with leaders stressing the moral implications of having church leadership tied to federal enforcement actions.

Community advocates continue to challenge the narrative around law enforcement's role and its impact on immigrant families, vehemently opposing the U.S. government's current immigration strategies.