The church was targeted because one of its pastors, David Easterwood, is reportedly the acting director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) St. Paul field office.
On Sunday, approximately 30 to 40 anti-ICE protesters disrupted a Christian worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, chanting slogans such as "ICE out" and "Justice for Renee Good." Here's what we know so far about the agitators involved in the disruption, which lasted roughly 20 minutes, forced the service to end early, and sparked a federal investigation by the Department of Justice.
The church was targeted because one of its pastors, David Easterwood, is reportedly the acting director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) St. Paul field office. Easterwood was not present during the incident, and activists claimed his work with ICE contradicted the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The action was organized by groups, including the Racial Justice Network, led by leftist civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, and Black Lives Matter Minnesota. Armstrong dismissed the DOJ investigation as a "distraction," emphasizing the need to cause disruptions to bring awareness to what she described as "community harm."
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Former CNN anchor Don Lemon, who has been put "on notice" by the Justice Department, livestreamed the event, accompanying protesters into the church and interviewing participants outside. Lemon described the incident as a "clandestine mission" and later defended it, criticizing churchgoers' distraught reactions as "entitlement" and "white supremacy." Lemon kissed Armstrong on the head during the action, according to the video.
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Jamael Lundy was identified in video footage raising his fist and chanting inside the church. Lundy serves as intergovernmental affairs coordinator for Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, a progressive prosecutor backed by George Soros-linked groups, per the Daily Wire. He handles communications with federal officials, including ongoing DOJ investigations into the county's policies. Lundy is married to St. Paul City Council member Anika Bowie and is currently running as a Democrat for the Minnesota state legislature.
Chauntyll Allen, a member of the St. Paul school board, was one of the organizers of the church storming. Allen was featured on Lemon's livestream, leading a chant that said, "We have nothing to lose but our chains." She is the leader of Black Lives Matter Twin Cities and defended the action to TMZ, claiming that ICE was "terrorizing our women and our children."
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William Kelly, a professional protester who has a history of harassing Christian worshipers at Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's church in Washington, D.C., was captured on video inside the church intimidating attendees. Kelly has a history of traveling across state lines to disrupt ICE operations and has created a GoFundMe to cover his travel costs.
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Other participants remain largely unidentified, though journalists and internet sleuths continue to work to uncover their identities. No arrests were reported, and protesters had exited the church by the time police arrived. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, condemned the protest.
The disruption occurred in relation to the ICE self-defense shooting of Renee Good, a leftist activist who rammed her vehicle at an ICE agent in Minneapolis, prompting him to fire several shots when he was struck by the vehicle. Good died at the scene.
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