‘This Has Got to Stop’: Religious Freedom Shattered as Protesters Storm Church
“I don’t even know anymore. But this has got to stop. This has to stop.” That was the reaction from one stunned Minneapolis churchgoer as chaos replaced quiet prayer time at Cities Church in St. Paul this Sunday. Worshippers seeking solace and guidance were instead forced to witness the unthinkable-a surging mob of far-left activists storming their sanctuary mid-service, chanting anti-ICE slogans and confronting their pastor in an outrageous display that’s left Christians and conservatives across Minnesota reeling.
This wasn’t a political rally. This wasn’t a city square. This was a house of worship-a sacred space suddenly violated, its congregation bullied and its leaders accused over unsubstantiated reports linking pastor David Easterwood to a top Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) post. The drama exploded just moments after former CNN host Don Lemon appeared onsite, not as an “activist,” he claimed, but allegedly just as a journalist-only to livestream activists flooding the aisles and drowning out prayer in scenes that have shocked a nation.
According to Wisconsin Bay News, the protesters interrupted worship, chanting ‘Hands up, don’t shoot’ and ‘ICE out.’ The allegations, swirling from social media and activist corners, accused Easterwood of maintaining a secret double life as Acting Director of the ICE St. Paul Field Office, a claim that left the congregation blindsided. Many congregants left the church, fearing for their safety.
One prominent conservative voice on-scene, Kevin Posobiec, condemned the spectacle: “I guess it was mostly peaceful, but this pattern of targeting churches for political vendettas is setting a dangerous precedent.”
For conservatives and all Americans who cherish faith, order, and the principle of religious liberty, the message is clear: nowhere is safe from the far-left’s tireless war on anything or anyone associated-rightly or wrongly-with enforcing immigration law and defending our borders.
Fact or Fiction? The Truth About Pastor Easterwood and the ICE Connection
Did the far-left mob get their facts straight before unleashing chaos inside a peaceful church? Or did social media hysteria-and journalists seeking spectacle-fan the flames of another baseless attack?
Rumors raced across Twitter and Facebook in the days leading up to Sunday’s confrontation, pointing fingers at Pastor David Easterwood as the “secret” Field Office Director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in St. Paul. Citing a recent press conference with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, some activists claimed to have the smoking gun-yet the truth remains muddy. As the Hindustan Times reports, there is no definitive evidence that Pastor Easterwood and the ICE official are the same person. That didn’t stop agitators from marshaling their forces and moving on the church, demanding answers and accountability for an unproven charge.
Just weeks ago, Easterwood was quoted praising the professionalism and dedication of ERO St. Paul’s officers-providing what many see as strong proof-but in a time of turmoil and misinformation, such “evidence” is too easily weaponized by radical leftists looking for a new villain.
“The Left doesn’t seem to care about facts or faith,” said one local parent whose child was in Sunday school during the chaos. “They just want a target. Today, it was our church.”
Conservative advocates have warned for months that mainstream media and progressive activists often deliberately blur lines between fact and rumor, especially when confronting law enforcement or immigration issues. The mob’s attack comes only days after an ICE operation in Minneapolis resulted in the shooting of Renee Nicole Good-a tragic event that has been seized on by activists antagonistic to ICE, regardless of context or consequence. What started as a quest for “accountability” is being seen by many as lawless intimidation and a clear assault on constitutionally protected religious expression.
When Churches Aren’t Safe: The Escalation from Protest to Intimidation
The new reality: America’s churches-once places of refuge and healing-are emerging as political battlegrounds, especially for radicals willing to defy every norm in the name of resistance.
What happened at Cities Church wasn’t random. It follows a dangerous national trend of left-wing activists targeting religious spaces and communities for maximum disruption. According to Word&Way, protesters marched into the sanctuary, shouting and chanting, eventually overwhelming the congregants and causing many worshippers to flee in fear. This was a calculated move-criminal trespass and religious intimidation disguised as free speech.
Things didn’t stop at the church doors either. Social media backlash was swift and fierce. According to the Hindustan Times, Don Lemon, who livestreamed the mayhem, was soon hammered for fanning the flames and offering credibility to the agitators. Comments like “You egged them on, Don,” and “You weren’t a journalist, you were organizing” trended across X, formerly known as Twitter. Meanwhile, local hotels-including the high-profile St. Paul Downtown Doubletree and InterContinental-took the drastic step of cancelling ICE agents’ reservations and refusing bookings “due to heightened public safety concerns,” essentially caving to mob threats and fueling fears across law enforcement communities.
One ICE officer told RedPledgeInfo, “First they disrupt church, next they run us out of hotels. At this point, the radicals are comfortable with open threats-and community leaders keep siding with them.”
Recent threats to poison agents and build IEDs, reported in anonymous tips and dark corners of activist channels, have cast an even darker pall over the events-leading officials to warn of further, deadlier violence if leaders do not condemn these coordinated assaults on law enforcement and faith alike.
Bigger Picture: 2026 and the Unrelenting Leftist Assault on Law, Order, and Faith
With the Trump administration doubling down on law and order since its 2024 re-election, conservative Americans have been bracing for the backlash. But targeting churches is a new low, even for the activist left.
This week’s scenes from Minneapolis and St. Paul serve as an undeniable wake-up call: far from ending their campaign after losing the White House-twice-progressive activists have only escalated, taking battle to the most sacred and unassailable corners of American life. The Minneapolis mob justified its church invasion by shouting the name of Renee Good-the woman fatally shot after reportedly ramming her SUV into ICE agents-but as footage and eyewitness accounts confirm, their “accountability” claims mask a much broader strategy: demonizing federal law enforcement and those of faith who dare support them.
As election season looms, Republican leaders-from Minnesota to Washington-are reinvigorating calls to defend churches and law enforcement, demanding Democrats finally rein in their activist base. As Mediaite reports, conservative voices are sounding the alarm about what this means for religious freedom in America. Former President Trump is on record denouncing the attacks and warning that 2026 could become a referendum on basic constitutional rights if this dangerous spiral is allowed to continue.
“If you can’t even worship in peace, where does it end?” asked a Cities Church deacon. “Today it was ICE. Tomorrow, it’ll be anyone the mob disagrees with.”
For families nationwide, this isn’t a distant, isolated incident-it’s a chilling sign of the times. With law-abiding citizens and churchgoers now looking over their shoulders, wondering if their place of worship is next, it’s up to America’s voters to draw a line in the sand. As the midterm battles heat up, one thing is clear: the war on faith and law enforcement is very real, and 2026 might just decide its outcome.
