A group of anti-ICE protesters disrupted a Sunday worship service at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, storming into the sanctuary and accusing a pastor of having ties to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as reported by The New York Post.
The incident unfolded at Cities Church, where demonstrators affiliated with the Racial Justice Network entered the building during services and singled out resident pastor David Eastwood.
Protesters claimed Eastwood was also serving as the acting field office director for ICE in Minnesota.
A person named David Eastwood is listed as an employee at the ICE field office in Minnesota, but it remains unclear whether that individual is the same person as the pastor at Cities Church.
The Department of Homeland Security has been contacted to clarify whether the two are the same.
Video from the disruption showed protesters chanting slogans similar to those heard at other demonstrations that have taken place across the Twin Cities in recent weeks.
Some chants invoked the name of slain anti-ICE activist Renee Nicole Good, while others accused Eastwood of betraying his faith by supporting ICE operations.
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“This cannot be a house of God while harboring someone directing ICE agents to wreak havoc on our community. I am a reverend on top of being a lawyer and an activist, so I come here in the power of the almighty God,” protester Nekima Levy-Armstrong said during a livestream conducted by former CNN host Don Lemon.
Eastwood was not present at the service during the protest.
The church’s lead pastor, Jonathan Parnell, addressed the disruption from the pulpit, calling the actions “shameful” and asking anyone not intending to worship to leave the building.
Federal authorities are now reviewing the incident. According to a post on X, the Department of Justice is probing the demonstration for possible violations of civil rights laws, specifically related to “interfering with Christian worshippers.”
The Department of Homeland Security reposted video of the church disruption on X and condemned the protest.
“Agitators aren’t just targeting our officers. Now they’re targeting churches, too. They’re going from hotel to hotel, church to church, hunting for federal law enforcement who are risking their lives to protect Americans,” DHS wrote.
Tensions between DHS and Minnesota officials, including Tim Walz and Jacob Frey, have escalated in recent weeks over ICE enforcement operations in the Twin Cities.
The situation intensified after Brown, a 37-year-old mother, was shot and killed by ICE officer Jonathan Ross during a protest on Jan. 7.
Federal officials have said the shooting was an act of self-defense. Following the incident, the federal government increased the presence of ICE agents in Minneapolis, where enforcement operations have frequently been disrupted by protesters.
DHS has said ICE “won’t be deterred” and accused Walz and Frey of “whipping these mobs into a frenzy and then allowing them to run rampant.”
Frey has publicly criticized ICE operations, accusing agents of “terrorizing people simply because they’re Latino or Somali” during an appearance on “60 Minutes” Sunday.
“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 people that call this city home. And it’s been inspiring,” Frey said.
The investigation into the church disruption remains ongoing.
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