Senior pastor Jonathan Purnell told journalist Don Lemon: “This is unacceptable. It’s shameful to disrupt Christians coming together for worship.”
Anti-ICE protesters appear during Minnesota church service
Anti-ICE protesters appear during a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating an anti-ICE protest that disrupted church services in Minnesota over the weekend.
On Sunday, January 18, a group of protesters entered Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, claiming to be the Rev. David Easterwood, acting director of ICE’s St. Paul field office. The protest was held less than two weeks after the shooting death of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis on January 7th.
In a Jan. 18 X post, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department was investigating the protests as potentially violating the FACE Act. The FACE Act is a federal law that prohibits the use of force, intimidation, or physical obstruction to prevent access to reproductive health care or religious worship, based on the First Amendment right to religious freedom.
“I just spoke with a pastor in Minnesota whose church was targeted,” Bondi wrote in another X post on January 18th. “If state leaders refuse to act responsibly to prevent illegal activity, the Department of Justice will continue to mobilize to prosecute federal crimes and ensure the rule of law prevails.”
St. Paul Police Department spokeswoman Nikki Muhlhausen told USA TODAY that officers responded to the church, but by the time they arrived, the group of 30 to 40 protesters had moved outside. Muhlhausen added that the department is actively investigating the protest as disorderly conduct.
Trump and Walz condemn church protests
White House press secretary Caroline Levitt said President Donald Trump condemns the actions of the protesters.
“President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in our sacred places of worship,” Levitt wrote in a Jan. 18 X post.
In recent weeks, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has voiced disdain for the federal government’s response to Goode’s death, particularly the opening of an investigation against him and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in connection with a conspiracy to disrupt ICE operations in the state. In a statement shared with USA TODAY on Jan. 19, Gov. Walz’s office said the governor continues to urge protesters to act peacefully.
“People have a right to have a voice, but he (Waltz) will never support disrupting a place of worship,” the statement said.
ICE refuses to confirm pastor’s role
Protesters claimed that Easterwood, who is listed on the Cities Church website, appeared alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during an October 2025 ICE operations press conference.
As of January 20, USA TODAY could not confirm Easterwood’s role at ICE’s St. Paul field office. Cities Church did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for more information about Easterwood’s role, and the Department of Homeland Security also declined to provide information about their representatives.
“DHS never confirms or denies attempts to keep our nation’s law enforcement officers in the dark. Releasing the personal information of our nation’s law enforcement officers puts their lives and their families at grave risk,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Security Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement obtained by USA TODAY. Doxxing refers to the public provision of personal information about an individual online, often without that individual’s consent.
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon joins protests
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was one of several journalists who attended the protest, speaking with members of the congregation, protesters and one of the church’s pastors, all of which was shared in a nearly seven-hour livestream available on Lemon’s YouTube channel.
“This is unacceptable,” senior pastor Jonathan Parnell told Lemon during the protest. “It is shameful to interrupt public gatherings during Christian worship.”
Lemon, who worked at CNN for 17 years, was fired in 2023. Neither Lemon nor CNN gave a reason for the anchor’s departure, but he left shortly after he made offensive comments about former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and accused CNN of inappropriate behavior toward female colleagues.
Greta Cross is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Story ideas? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
