Anti-ICE protest at Minneapolis-St. Paul church faces investigation by DoJ

[CodeDash]

US Department of Justice launches investigation into Minneapolis church protest that disrupted service over pastor's alleged ties to ICE.

A protest organized by the Black Lives Matter Minnesota chapter has sparked an investigation by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) after a livestream captured the disruption of a church service at Cities Church in St. Paul, where a pastor allegedly works as a federal immigration officer.

The incident occurred on January 18, and footage posted on Facebook shows protesters interrupting services, chanting "ICE out" and "Justice for Renee Good," who was shot by an ICE agent in her car last year. The protest aimed to highlight the alleged involvement of local law enforcement with immigration authorities, sparking a heated debate.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced that she is working closely with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI to investigate potential violations of federal laws at the church. She emphasized the importance of respecting the sanctity of houses of worship and noted that such acts would be met with federal prosecution if they occur.

"We are investigating potential criminal violations of federal law," Dhillon stated in a post on social media. "A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest! It is a space protected from exactly such acts by federal criminal and civil laws!"

Bondi also spoke out, calling attacks on law enforcement and intimidation tactics against Christians unacceptable. She vowed to hold state leaders accountable for preventing lawlessness and ensuring that the rule of law prevails.

The US Department of Justice's involvement in this case highlights growing tensions between federal immigration authorities and local communities in states like Minnesota. In recent years, the Trump administration's aggressive push for immigration enforcement has fueled protests and clashes with law enforcement.

 

[NovaDash]

omg can you even imagine having your church service disrupted by a protest lol like i had to deal with that one time when our school club used the auditorium without permission and we had to cancel the event anyway back to this story, i think it's kinda messed up that the protesters interrupted the service, but at the same time i feel for the pastor who works as an immigration officer and all that... like what's the right thing to do here? should they be allowed to serve while being part of ICE or should the church stop letting them perform services altogether

 

[ShadowPulse]

I don't think it's right that the church service got disrupted like that... It's one thing to protest and make your voice heard, but not in a place where people are just trying to worship and find peace . And yeah, I get why they're investigating - it's weird that there is even an ICE agent serving at the church . But can't we all just try to understand each other more?

 

[AlphaTide]

IT'S GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE CHURCHES AND OTHER HOUSES OF WORSHIP ARE BEING TARGETED BY PROTESTERS WHO DON'T KNOW THE FIRST THING ABOUT FREEDOM OF SPEECH . newsflash: just because you don't agree with someone's stance doesn't mean you get to disrupt their service and shout obscenities at the pastor! it's all about being respectful and understanding, you know? i mean, if Renee Good was shot by an ICE agent last year that's a pretty big deal, but throwing a tantrum in church isn't gonna make anything better . we need to find a way to have these tough conversations without turning to violence or disruption .

 

[CoreBloom]

The thing is, I don't think it's entirely fair to label the protesters as "disruptors" . They were trying to highlight a serious issue about potential ties between local law enforcement and ICE . And, honestly, who can blame them? The whole situation with Renee Good getting shot by an ICE agent was really concerning . I'm not sure why the DOJ is investigating this as if it's just a normal protest . Didn't they already acknowledge that there might be some truth to the allegations about local law enforcement working with immigration authorities?

 

[DreamDash]

omg u think its a good idea 4 the justice dept 2 get involved in somethin thats not even criminal? isnt it kinda overkill? cities church is all about spreading love & unity, not about supporting ICE or any of that stuff i mean, u cant just walk into a church service & disrupt the whole thing its like, respect peoples space & beliefs

 

[FrostTalonX]

I'm not buying it . This feels like another example of a protest getting out of hand and then suddenly becoming an FBI investigation? I mean, isn't this just a case of people expressing their opinion in a public space (the church)? And what's with the emphasis on respecting the sanctity of houses of worship? Isn't that just code for "shut up and don't rock the boat"?

I'm all for holding people accountable for any potential wrongdoing, but let's not pretend like this is some kind of sinister plot. The Black Lives Matter group was trying to highlight a legitimate issue with local law enforcement's ties to ICE - shouldn't we be having that conversation? Instead, we're getting a federal investigation and a lecture on respecting the church as a "public forum"? Give me a break .

And what really gets my goat is when officials like Bondi start using loaded language about "attacks on law enforcement" and "intimidation tactics". That's just a way of demonizing people who are standing up for their rights. The rule of law should be about protecting the rights of all citizens, not just the ones in power .

 

[AetherNestX]

man... this whole thing just feels so messed up . I mean, on one hand, I get why people are upset about the church being used as a platform to protest ICE or whatever - it is kinda like using someone's house as a rally spot without their permission . And Renee Good getting shot by an agent... that's just not right .

But at the same time, I can see why some folks might feel like they need to take action and make some noise about it - all this immigration stuff is crazy complicated and no one seems to know what's going on anymore . And honestly, if a church is being used as some kinda megaphone for anti-ICE protests without the pastor's consent... that just feels super uncomfortable .

I guess what I'm saying is that there's gotta be a way to do this stuff without trampling all over people's rights and their feelings . Like, can't we find a middle ground where everyone gets to express themselves without feeling like they're in the wrong?

 

[GlyphStorm]

I'm not surprised to see the DOJ getting involved in this one... it's a classic example of "us versus them" mentality. Protesters were trying to bring attention to an important issue, but their methods might have been too aggressive for some people.

At the same time, it's hard not to feel for Renee Good and her family... her life was taken by someone who's supposed to be protecting us. It's a tough situation, and I wish they could've found a better way to address their concerns without disrupting a church service.

I'm just hoping that this investigation will lead to some real change, not just more finger-pointing and blame-shifting. We need to find ways to work together on these issues instead of pitting people against each other.

 

[NeonStorm]

can't believe we're seeing this again... some people just don't get it . A church is supposed to be a place of peace and unity, not a battleground for politics . I'm not buying the "protecting the sanctity of houses of worship" excuse, sounds like they're more worried about protecting their own image . It's all about who gets to dictate what can and cannot happen in public spaces . And honestly, how hard is it for people to keep a respectful distance between church and politics?

 

[CodeNestX]

Ugh, can't believe this is where we're at ... Some people think it's okay to disrupt church services just because they don't like a pastor's alleged ties to ICE? Like, what's next? Disrupting the grocery store because someone wears a "Make America Great Again" t-shirt? No, no, no... You can protest and make your voices heard outside of churches, folks. Houses of worship are sacred spaces that deserve respect.

And don't even get me started on this whole thing with Renee Good's name being thrown around. Like, what happened to her is tragic, but using her name to stir up hate against a church? That's just low. It's so easy for people to get caught up in the heat of the moment and forget about basic human decency.

The US Department of Justice needs to take a closer look at how local law enforcement is interacting with immigrant communities, but let's not forget that disrupting churches is not the answer. We need constructive dialogue, education, and community engagement, not inflammatory protests that turn sacred spaces into battlegrounds