DOJ Launches Investigation into Protest at Minnesota Church Linked to ICE Official

Wed Jan 21 2026 23:23:31 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating protesters who disrupted a church service in St. Paul, where a local ICE official is reportedly the pastor, amid concerns over immigration enforcement tactics.

Protesters disrupted worship at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, demanding accountability from David Easterwood, a pastor and acting director of the ICE St. Paul field office. This protest follows community outrage over the fatal shooting of a mother by an ICE agent, raising questions about the intersection of faith and federal law enforcement. The DOJ has announced an investigation into potential civil rights violations related to the protest's disruption of religious services.

MINNEAPOLIS — The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated an investigation into Black Lives Matter Minnesota and other protesters who interrupted a church service where David Easterwood, a local official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), serves as a pastor. The disruption occurred at Cities Church in St. Paul, where protestors were filmed chanting 'ICE out' and 'Justice for Renee Good,' a mother of three fatally shot by an ICE agent earlier in the month.

Protesters accused Easterwood of overseeing ICE tactics linked to violent enforcement practices and illegal arrests. U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon condemned the actions of the protesters, stating on social media that federal laws protect places of worship from such acts. 'A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest,' she declared.

Nekima Levy Armstrong, a leader of the Racial Justice Network who participated in the protest, dismissed the DOJ's investigation as a distraction from the real issues at hand. 'To have someone serving as a pastor who oversees these ICE agents is unfathomable,' she said, emphasizing the moral implications of ICE's presence in places of worship.

The DOJ's investigation highlights the growing tensions surrounding ICE's immigration enforcement tactics, especially following numerous reports of community dissent against federal actions. Black Lives Matter Minnesota's co-founder, Monique Cullars-Doty, expressed concern about the moral integrity of the church's leadership given the connection to ICE.

Citizens have increasingly vocalized their opposition to ICE operations, often calling for a reevaluation of such enforcement within communities, especially when it intersects with religious faith and values.