Justice Department opens civil rights probe after anti-ICE activists disrupt Twin Cities church worship service

Federal civil-rights review follows protest inside a Sunday service

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil-rights investigation after a group of anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters entered and disrupted a Sunday worship service in the Twin Cities metro area. Federal officials said the inquiry will examine whether laws protecting religious worship were violated when demonstrators interrupted congregants during the service.

The incident occurred during a service at Cities Church in St. Paul, which was livestreamed. Video from the service shows chanting and an extended disruption as church leaders asked demonstrators who were not attending worship to leave.

Why the church was targeted

Protesters said they targeted the church because one of its pastors, David Easterwood, is alleged to hold a leadership role within ICE’s local field office. Public reporting has identified Easterwood as the acting director of the ICE field office in Minnesota; the church has not issued a public statement addressing the allegation or the disruption.

Demonstrators tied their action to anger over immigration enforcement operations in the Twin Cities and to the Jan. 7, 2026, fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, 37, during an ICE operation in Minneapolis. The shooting has prompted days of protests and sharp disputes between federal officials and local leaders about the scope and conduct of enforcement activity.

What federal authorities say they are investigating

Justice Department leadership has framed the probe as a review of potential interference with religious exercise and possible intimidation or obstruction of worshippers. Federal statements have also emphasized that houses of worship receive heightened legal protections against disruption and that possible criminal violations will be reviewed for prosecution.

Separately, federal officials have publicly defended the ICE officer’s actions in the Good shooting as self-defense and have indicated the case is being handled through internal processes rather than a Justice Department criminal investigation. Local officials and community advocates have continued to call for independent scrutiny of the encounter.

Context: intensified enforcement and widening political conflict

The church disruption comes amid heightened tensions surrounding federal immigration operations in the Twin Cities that began in early January. The enforcement activity has produced repeated public confrontations, including protests near sites of federal operations and growing debate over the role of state and local leaders in responding to federal actions.

At the same time, federal officials have signaled a more aggressive posture toward protest activity, including the possibility of pursuing civil-rights and related federal charges when demonstrations are alleged to cross into unlawful interference.

Key points

• A worship service at a St. Paul church was disrupted by protesters opposing ICE activity in the Twin Cities.
• The Justice Department opened a civil-rights investigation focused on interference with religious worship.
• The protest was linked by organizers to a pastor’s alleged ICE leadership role and to the Jan. 7, 2026, fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good during an ICE operation.

What happens next will depend on whether federal investigators determine the disruption meets legal thresholds for intimidation, obstruction, or other prohibited conduct in a place of worship.

As of Jan. 19, 2026, no public charging documents tied to the church disruption had been released, and the Justice Department has not detailed a timeline for completing its review.