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DOJ Opens FACE Act Investigation Into St. Paul Church Disruption During Anti-ICE Protest

Federal investigators are deploying to Minneapolis to identify participants after Sunday’s service interruption.

Overview

  • Videos show several dozen protesters entering Cities Church during worship, chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good.”
  • Demonstrators said they targeted pastor David Easterwood over an alleged ICE leadership role, though his presence inside the sanctuary is not confirmed by the widely circulated footage.
  • DOJ Civil Rights chief Harmeet Dhillon said potential FACE Act violations are under review, with two prosecutors and an FBI team assigned to the case.
  • Journalist Don Lemon livestreamed inside the church and defended the protest as free speech, while Dhillon publicly warned he is “on notice” as authorities assess the conduct captured on video.
  • The confrontation comes after weeks of Twin Cities unrest tied to Operation Metro Surge and the Jan. 7 shooting of Renee Good, alongside a new House Republican inquiry into Rep. Ilhan Omar’s finances.