Trump calls Minneapolis-area church protesters ‘trained professionals’ as federal officials review possible civil rights violations

Comments follow St. Paul church disruption tied to immigration enforcement tensions in the Twin Cities

President Donald Trump said protesters who disrupted a Sunday worship service at a St. Paul church were “trained professionals” and suggested they should face jail time or removal from the United States, escalating national attention on a local confrontation now under federal review.

Trump’s remarks, posted early Tuesday, January 20, 2026, came after video circulated online showing demonstrators entering Cities Church during services on Sunday, January 18. In the post, Trump described those involved as “agitators and insurrectionists,” alleging they were highly trained to provoke disorder, and called for investigations of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, both Democrats.

Why the church became a target

Organizers said the demonstration was aimed at a pastor listed by Cities Church, David Easterwood, who they believe also serves as the acting field office director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the St. Paul area. Federal authorities have not publicly confirmed whether the pastor and the ICE official are the same person. The Department of Homeland Security has stated it will not confirm or deny information that could amount to doxxing of law enforcement personnel.

In videos of the disruption, protesters chanted inside the sanctuary and confronted church leadership. One of the most prominent voices associated with the demonstration, attorney and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, described the action as a response to what she characterized as harm caused by federal immigration enforcement in the region.

Investigations and legal questions

The U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has said it is investigating the incident for potential violations of federal law protecting access to places of worship. The review has focused on whether protesters used threats, force, or physical obstruction that interfered with religious exercise, conduct that can trigger federal criminal exposure.

Separate from the federal review, local authorities have indicated the episode is also being examined as a potential disorderly conduct matter based on reported conduct at and around the church.

Connection to recent Minneapolis shooting

The protest unfolded amid heightened public anger over immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota and the January 7, 2026, fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, during an ICE-related operation. The shooting has drawn competing accounts from federal officials and witnesses and remains a flashpoint for demonstrations across the Twin Cities.

• Event: Protest disrupted Cities Church service on January 18, 2026, in St. Paul.
• Trump statement: Posted January 20, 2026, calling protesters “professionals” and urging jail or deportation.
• Federal status: Civil Rights Division review underway regarding potential interference with worship.

Trump’s statement framed the disruption as an organized, professional operation and linked it to broader criticism of Minnesota’s Democratic leadership.

No criminal charges had been publicly announced as of Tuesday, and it remained unclear what evidence federal investigators will rely on to determine whether the protest crossed from protected speech into unlawful interference with religious worship.