Protest at Minnesota Church Service Adds to Tensions Over ICE Tactics

[Coventina]

Protesters interrupted a Sunday church service in St. Paul, Minn., over a pastor’s apparent work as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official, escalating tensions between Minnesota residents and the Trump administration after an immigration agent shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis.

Videos posted on social media show protesters chanting at the Cities Church — including calls for “ICE out” — and bringing the service to a halt. Congregants are seen moving to leave the church as the chants continue and worship music begins to play.

The protest at the church was organized by Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights lawyer. She said she wanted to draw attention to a church leader, David Easterwood, who also appears to be the acting director of ICE’s field office for enforcement and removal operations in St. Paul, and who is named in a lawsuit challenging aggressive enforcement tactics.

The church, Mr. Easterwood and Jonathan Parnell, the lead pastor leading service on Sunday, did not immediately respond to calls or requests for comment. It was unclear whether Mr. Easterwood was present in the church during the protest on Sunday.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/us/politics/minnesota-church-protest-ice.html

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I am extremely hostile toward churches of this kind. However, I do not think the protestors should have gone inside.
They should have limited their protest to outside the church.

[Ars Longa]

1. Yes! Don't go inside!!! It just validates their "But what About?"

machine.. And, in a way, makes you as bad as they are!!

[Coldwater]

2. Minnesota is an open-carry state

but a valid permit to carry is required.

[MichMan]

6. Were the protesters armed?

Not sure what this has to do with the protest in the church.

[Coldwater]

8. The point being

peaceful protesters can lawfully exercise their 2nd amendment right to carry

[sheshe2]

11. "these liberals"?

[sheshe2]

18. First, this is a Democratic board.

Second Democrats are not antigun, they are for stricter rules for obtaining guns. They are against open carry and are sick and tired of the slaughter that was and is happening to students, concert goers, churches, synagogues and more.

[Jack Valentino]

20. You sound a little like an "A.I. response"! LOL

So you find it "disturbing" to see a picture of a "liberal"
exercising their "2nd Amendment Rights" ??

GOT IT!

Yeah, when the blacks started to arm themselves for self-defense,
many "conservatives" ALSO found THAT "disturbing"!


(probably because their perceived 'enemies' were equipped for 'self-defense',
because most conservatives would prefer that they had none---
because they are COWARDS!)

[Jack Valentino]

25. They have just as much gun rights as MAGGOTS to carry guns in public where the law allows it,

don't you think ???


'Organic' ??? Looked pretty 'organic' to me,
but I only saw the photo of the white guy in Minneapolis with the AR-15 knockoff!

I liked it!

Got links to the alleged photos of young black people with long guns in Minnesota,
because I haven't seen those yet! I would LIKE to see them!!!!


(oh sorry, guess you're banned now. 'Be Well'! lmao)

[iemanja]

14. They were not carrying weapons

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1600131261182274

You evidently confused cell phones for guns.

[Jack Valentino]

15. I'm a Liberal Democrat who thinks that more liberal Democrats should own more guns----

(particularly for self defense against GQP maga maggot gun-humpers!)

and I challenge your assertion that
'the party has repeatedly spoken out against the right to bear arms' !!!


That is BULLSHIT--- what we WANT is more reasonable CONTROL over guns!!!

(particularly to restrict the gun rights of gun-humping MAGGOTS
who speak at public rallies asking
'when do we get to use the guns???')

((Well, somebody DID 'get to use the guns',
in Butler PA and wherever Kirk was speaking---
Do you support their 'gun rights', or not ?? ))



Not a good 'first post' on this site, in my humble opinion....
a word that begins with a 'T' comes to mind....

[Jack Valentino]

24. I doubt their sincerity on this first post on this site

Yeah, that's 'on me'. FINE.


And 'open carry' IS a thing where I live in MIchigan,
where they did it in the State Capitol in 2020... not that I agree with it

And conservative maggots don't want any liberals to be armed,
which in my opinion was the motivation behind that post.

[dpibel]

16. Enjoy your meteoric stay

[Jack Valentino]

21. I already alerted on that person, after posting my response.....

[dpibel]

17. That's an average of one lie every 12.5 words

Pretty impressive!

[mike_c]

3. more please

[duckworth969]

4. Mixed feelings

It’s a private venue. Not sure that was a great idea.

Tho churches don’t generally turn away new members, so not sure they would’ve had an easy time saying no to people they didn’t necessarily recognize.

If it was a member of the church, that would be okay.

[Blue Full Moon]

26. Churches are pubic

[Skittles]

28. pubic?

[MichMan]

5. Don Lemon was a participant

[newdeal2]

9. That's a stretch

He covered it from the inside and out. He also spoke to some of the church attendees who seemed more than willing to give their side of the story. They clearly were not bothered by his presence.

[dpibel]

19. Do you think he should be jailed for 40 years?

Because another person who believes he was a participant thinks so.

[intheflow]

7. I can't blame the protesters for going into the church.

I mean, this pastor has no problem going into churches (and schools, and hospitals, and…) to drag out immigrants, or just brown people in general. This guy 100% deserves the same level of sanctuary and comfort within his own congregation as he denies other people.

[Jack Valentino]

12. I agree with your conclusion--- it just gave them the chance to play the

'persecuted christians' card......

Keeping the protest outside of the church would have made the point well enough---
and even if we hate ICE, we shouldn't act like them....

(or at least not against people who don't actually work for them)

[TommyT139]

27. ICE and their supporters aren't Christian.

They raid church services, shoot at pastors, forbid any chaplains entry into the concentration camps....and that's beside their disobeying every action Jesus so clearly commanded: feeding poor people, making sure orphans and widows are cared for, and the rest.

There's a millstone necklace with the name of each and every ICEr. If they don't end up wearing it here, it's waiting for them on the other side.