On a recent Sunday in St. Paul, Minnesota, a group of protesters disrupted a church service, alleging that one of the pastors had links to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This incident occurred at Cities Church, and the claims have sparked concerns among both law enforcement and religious leaders about the increasing trend of anti-ICE protests targeting places of worship in the Twin Cities.
Videos circulating online capture the moment when the protesters entered the church, chanting “Justice for Renee Good” and “Who needs justice, we need justice,” as the congregation gathered for the service. The demonstrators made their way to the center of the sanctuary, interrupting the pastor’s sermon as they voiced their grievances.
One video features commentary from an individual who described the protest as a “clandestine mission,” highlighting that the agitators had recently discovered a pastor at the church had connections to ICE. This information seemed to fuel their decision to stage the protest during the service.
The church’s roster includes eight pastors, among them David Easterwood, whose name coincidentally matches that of the acting director of ICE’s St. Paul field office. This connection appears to have been the catalyst for the demonstration.
The incident has not gone unnoticed by federal authorities. The Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into the matter, while the Department of Homeland Security has issued strong condemnations of the protest. The event underscores the rising tensions surrounding immigration enforcement actions and their impact on communities and institutions across the nation.
Cities Church lists eight pastors of varying roles, including David Easterwood, who shares the same name as the acting director of ICE’s St. Paul field office.
Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE to verify whether the two individuals are the same person.
ICE shared one of the videos of the protest inside the church that circulated widely on social media Sunday.
Community members confront federal agents after an immigration raid that resulted in detentions and followed the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jan. 13, 2026. (Tim Evans/Reuters)
“Agitators aren’t just targeting our officers. Now they’re targeting churches, too,” DHS said in the post. “They’re going from hotel to hotel, church to church, hunting for federal law enforcement who are risking their lives to protect Americans.”
DHS then called out Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, saying they are responsible for “whipping these mobs into a frenzy and then allowing them to run rampant.”
“We won’t be deterred,” DHS said. “ICE isn’t going anywhere.”
The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the church protest to determine whether civil rights laws were violated.
“The @CivilRights is investigating the potential violations of the federal FACE Act by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said.
Frey has defended the protests, pushing back on federal officials who have described the demonstrations as dangerous or lawless and rejecting claims that state and local leaders are responsible for fueling unrest.
Appearing on CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday, Frey rejected the Trump administration’s characterization of the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, arguing the surge of federal agents has made residents feel targeted rather than protected.
“This is not about safety. What this is about is coming into our city by the thousands and terrorizing people simply because they’re Latino or Somali,” Frey said. “People in Minneapolis are speaking up. They’re speaking up peacefully. They’re standing up for their neighbors. And this is not just about resisting Trump. This is about loving and caring for the people that call this city home. And it’s been inspiring.”
