MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The U.S. Department of Justice has announced an investigation into a group of protesters in Minnesota who disrupted services at a church connected to a local official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The protest occurred at Cities Church in St. Paul, where it has been reported that one of the pastors, David Easterwood, oversees operations at the local ICE field office.
The protest was organized by Black Lives Matter Minnesota, which live-streamed the event on Facebook. Footage shows protesters chanting phrases like "ICE out" and "Justice for Renee Good," referencing the recent fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good, a mother of three, by an ICE agent in Minneapolis amidst heightened federal immigration enforcement activity.
The demonstrators allege that Pastor David Easterwood, who also serves as the acting director of the ICE St. Paul field office, is involved in overseeing operations characterized by alleged violent tactics and illegal arrests. In response to the church disruption, U.S. Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stated that her agency is investigating potential federal civil rights violations, emphasizing that a house of worship is not an appropriate forum for protest and is protected by federal laws.
Attorney General Pam Bondi supported this view on social media, stating that any violations of federal law would be prosecuted accordingly. Meanwhile, Nekima Levy Armstrong, a participant in the protest and leader of the Racial Justice Network, criticized the DOJ's investigation as a diversion from the real issues concerning federal agents' conduct in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Armstrong, who is also an ordained reverend, expressed disbelief over Easterwood's dual role as a church pastor and ICE director. She stressed that the priority should be the harmful actions perpetrated by ICE rather than the disruption of church services. In her view, those more concerned about the latter should reflect on their values and priorities.
The Cities Church website identifies David Easterwood as a pastor, and his personal details seem to align with those recorded in court documents as the ICE office head. He has publicly defended the tactics employed by ICE in Minnesota, including the use of crowd control devices and altering license plates, citing increased threats to federal agents. Easterwood argued that these measures were necessary for the protection of law enforcement personnel, claiming there was no deliberate targeting of peaceful protesters.
ICE has characterized the protesters as "agitators," asserting that they are targeting places of worship and attempting to locate law enforcement officials engaged in protective duties. The situation has generated significant tension between protesters and law enforcement agencies, with Black Lives Matter Minnesota co-founder Monique Cullars-Doty condemning the DOJ's focus on the protests rather than the actions of ICE. She questioned the morality of having a church leader actively involved in orchestrating ICE raids, reaffirming the need to protect vulnerable community members from such actions.
Cities Church has remained silent on the incident, failing to provide comments to both phone and email inquiries. It remains unclear if Easterwood was present during the protest as he did not lead the portion of the service that was broadcasted online.
