As ICE agents continue to do their jobs in Minneapolis, the protests have surged beyond the streets. On Sunday, Jan. 18, a group of anti-ICE protesters invaded a church service to protest – all because they assert that one of the pastors works for ICE.
A group of protestors shouting anti-ICE chants caused such disruption to the Sunday morning service at the Cities Church in St. Paul that the minister had to end the service early.
Shocking footage from Cities Church in Minneapolis this morning (an SBC church) where an anti-ICE mob stormed the service and disrupted their worship, alleging one of the church’s lead pastors is an ICE agent. pic.twitter.com/hS2FhzrFc4
— Center for Baptist Leadership (@BaptistLeaders) January 18, 2026
The protestors, which Fox9 in Minneapolis said included activists from the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota, believed that one of the church’s pastors, David Easterwood, is the same David Easterwood who is the acting field office director for ICE in Minnesota. That has not been confirmed
Former CNN broadcaster Don Lemon livestreamed from the church on his YouTube channel and caught the lead pastor, Jonathan Parnell, for a short interview, which Parnell terminated by asking Lemon to leave unless he was there to worship.
“This is unacceptable. It’s shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship.” Parnell said.
When Lemon countered by stating there’s a “First Amendment right to freedom of speech and freedom to assemble and protest,” Parnell quickly came back with the reason why the congregants were there: “We’re here to worship Jesus because that is the hope of these cities. That is the hope of the world is Jesus Christ.”
Lemon, who obviously didn’t care about that, wanted to know if the pastor had bothered to talk to the shouting protesters.
Pastor: “Our church had gathered for worship, which we do every Sunday, and we were interrupted by this group of protesters. We asked them to leave, and they obviously have not left.”
Don Lemon: “What do you think of it?”
Pastor: “This is unacceptable. It’s shameful to… pic.twitter.com/yXeSZTJaRg
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) January 18, 2026
After the Center for Baptist Leadership posted video of the event on X, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon took note, promising that the Civil Rights division was investigating.
Dhillon said the Department of Justice was investigating for possible violations of the FACE Act. In addition to preventing physical obstruction to reproductive clinics, the Act also extends those same prohibitions and protects access to religious services.
She later responded directly to Lemon, reminding him he was confused about the First Amendment, the right to protest, and where it applies.
A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest! It is a space protected from exactly such acts by federal criminal and civil laws! Nor does the First Amendment protect your pseudo journalism of disrupting a prayer service.
You are on notice! https://t.co/5QASu6N4OE
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) January 19, 2026
Protestors managed to shut down the Cities Church service by screaming and chanting. Imagine protestors invading a mosque in Minneapolis; no, wait, that wouldn’t happen. For some reason, only synagogues and churches face these types of protests.
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