A shockingly brazen crowd of anti-ICE activists burst into a worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, chanting “ICE out” and invoking the name of Renee Good while forcing the service to end prematurely — a raw display of political intimidation inside a house of God. The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into potential violations of federal law for interfering with worshippers, a response that should have happened the moment these mobs crossed the threshold.
The pastor at the center of the outrage, David Easterwood, is reportedly an ICE official, which the agitators seized on as justification to disrupt prayer and family worship. Congregants described feeling violated and frightened as protesters walked right up to the pulpit and shouted down children and seniors, a cowardly tactic that no civilized society should tolerate.
Prominent media figures jumped into the chaos; Don Lemon streamed from the scene and even followed the group inside, later defending the stunt as reporting and accusing some worshippers of “entitlement.” That smug media performance only underscores how the press has morphed into an activist arm for mobs that want to silence Christian voices instead of simply covering the story.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division publicly signaled it will consider prosecution under laws that protect houses of worship from forcible disruption, and conservative leaders are rightly demanding consequences for those who trampled on religious liberty. Federal enforcement is necessary when local authorities stand idly by while political thugs terrorize congregations, and it’s encouraging to see the DOJ move off the sidelines in this case.
Meanwhile, one of the ringleaders identified online as William Kelly, who posts under the name DaWokeFarmer, has been filmed taunting federal authorities and daring them to arrest him after the incident — the behavior of someone who believes the rules do not apply to his political faction. Reports show this same provocateur has a history of harassing service members and officers, a clear pattern that should prompt serious charges rather than more permissive treatment.
Americans of goodwill should be outraged that churches — the last refuges of community and conscience — are now targets for performative left-wing intimidation. This is not protest, it is political theater designed to cow believers into silence, and conservatives must demand that prosecutors follow through and that local law enforcement finally protect their citizens.
We must also call out the media and political class that cheerleads these incursions while accusing others of intolerance; there is no equivalence between peaceful civic dissent outside a sanctuary and marching into a service to shout down worshippers. Democrats who wink at this behavior or weaponize the justice system selectively only deepen the rot and invite more chaos.
Patriotic Americans should stand with the persecuted congregants in St. Paul and every community that values religious freedom and the rule of law. Speak to your neighbors, call your representatives, and make clear that churches will not be turned into staging grounds for political intimidation — our country and our faith traditions deserve nothing less.
