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On January 18, 2026, a group of anti-ICE protesters burst into a worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, disrupting congregants and frightening families and children who had come to pray. The demonstrators accused one of the church’s pastors of being affiliated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and chanted slogans while livestreaming the incident. Federal authorities announced an investigation into whether the disturbance violated protections for places of worship, a development that should concern anyone who cares about basic religious freedom and public order.
Video from the scene shows activists entering the sanctuary and confronting worshippers, and organizers livestreamed portions of the disruption for the cameras rather than seeking a civil, lawful dialogue with church leadership. According to reporting, Pastor David Easterwood, the pastor under scrutiny for his ICE ties, was not present during the service, which makes the ambush even more indefensible. This was not journalism or protest — it was a premeditated spectacle staged to intimidate ordinary people in a sacred space.
High-profile media figures were not merely reporting from the perimeter; some embedded with the group and amplified the action live, blurring the line between observer and participant. One broadcaster who livestreamed from inside the church has now been put on notice by the Justice Department as officials evaluate potential violations of federal statutes protecting worshippers. The media’s decision to prioritize viral content over protecting vulnerable worshippers reveals a disturbing moral bankruptcy at outlets that treat disruption as a ratings tactic.
Among the agitators was a man who later taunted federal authorities to arrest him, a brazen challenge to the rule of law that underscores how emboldened these activists have become under permissive local policies. Videos show the same individual targeting families and confronting churchgoers, then boasting online afterward as if law and decency were merely optional. When prosecutors are asked to enforce statutes that protect churches, they should do so vigorously and without fear or favor; public safety and religious liberty are not negotiable.
Conservatives and defenders of religious freedom have rightly pointed to federal statutes designed to prevent precisely this kind of intimidation, and legal analysts say charges such as trespass, disorderly conduct, and violations of the FACE Act are plausible given the evidence. If the Justice Department follows through, it will send a necessary message that homes of worship will not be converted into political stages by mobs. Accountability must extend beyond arresting a few fringe actors; it should include holding accountable anyone who plans and promotes violent or harassing invasions of peaceful gatherings.
Local officials who have tolerated escalating chaos on the streets bear responsibility for the environment that produced this affront. When leadership soft-pedals enforcement and excuses lawlessness in the name of protest, the result is predictable: more intimidation, more targeted harassment of innocents, and a breakdown of the public peace. Cities and states that value both free speech and safety should enforce the law impartially and restore confidence that people can attend worship without fear.
This episode should prompt a national reckoning about priorities: is our society willing to let sacred institutions be trampled for political theater, or will lawful, decent behavior be demanded of everyone regardless of ideology? The answer must be the latter; protecting worshippers and punishing those who prey on them is a nonpartisan duty of government. If prosecutors act, if the media learns restraint, and if local leaders stop enabling mobs, this country can reclaim the basic civility that keeps communities safe and free.
