Anti-ICE agitators storm St. Paul church during Sunday worship service
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A crowd of anti-ICE agitators gathered in St. Petersburg, Minnesota, on Sunday. Paul and disrupted worship services after protesters claimed a priest inside was affiliated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The video shows agitators chanting “Justice for Renee Good” in the sanctuary at Cities Church as the service begins; That’s raising concerns among law enforcement and religious leaders about protesters targeting houses of worship amid growing anti-ICE demonstrations in the Twin Cities.
In a video circulating online, agitators standing inside the church during the service can be heard chanting “Justice for Renee Good” and “Who needs justice, we need justice.”
In another clip, the person filming the video says demonstrators positioned themselves in the middle of the sanctuary as the priest spoke. The filmer later called the outage a “secret mission” and claimed the agitators had just learned that one of the pastors at the church had ties to ICE.
FEDERAL JUDGE RESTRICTS ICE AGENTS AT ONGOING MINNEAPOLIS AREA PROTESTS
Anti-ICE protesters stormed a St. Petersburg church in the middle of the service due to their alleged ties to ICE. They raided St. Paul’s church, prompting a Justice Department civil rights investigation and harsh criticism from DHS. (Google Maps)
Cities Church, including ICE’s St. He lists eight chaplains in different roles, including David Easterwood, who shares the same name as the acting director of the St. Paul field office.
Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE to confirm whether the two individuals are the same person.
ICE shared One of the videos of protests inside the church that spread widely on social media on Sunday.
TRUMP ACCUSES TIM WALZ AND ILHAN OMA OF USING ICE PROTESTS TO FEAR BIG GOVERNMENT FRAUD
Community members confront federal agents following an immigration raid that resulted in detentions following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good at ICE on January 13, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Tim Evans/Reuters)
“Agitators aren’t just targeting our officers. They’re now targeting churches, too,” DHS said in its post. “They go from hotel to hotel, from church to church, chasing after federal law enforcement officers who risk their lives to protect Americans.”
DHS then called out Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, saying they were responsible for “running these gangs crazy and then letting them run free.”
“We will not be deterred,” DHS said. “ICE isn’t going anywhere.”
AS PROTESTS TURNED VIOLENT, MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD ON STAND TO SUPPORT PROTECTION PRACTICES
The Justice Department opened an investigation into the church protest to determine whether civil rights laws were violated.
“@CivilRights is investigating possible violations of the federal FACE Act by these individuals who desecrated a place of worship and interfered with Christian worshipers,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. he said.
Frey defended the protests, challenging federal authorities who called the demonstrations dangerous or unlawful, and rejected allegations that state and local leaders were responsible for fueling the unrest.
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Appearing on CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday, Frey rejected the Trump administration’s characterization of an immigration crackdown in Minnesota and argued that an increase in federal agents has led residents to feel targeted rather than protected.
“This has nothing to do with security. This has to do with thousands of people coming into our city and terrorizing people just because they’re Latino or Somali,” Frey said. he said. “People in Minneapolis are speaking out. They’re speaking out peacefully. They’re defending their neighbors. And this isn’t just about resisting Trump. This is about loving and caring about the people who call this city home. And it’s been inspiring.”
