The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into a group of demonstrators who halted a Sunday church service, targeting a pastor identified as a senior official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The federal inquiry follows a chaotic scene inside the St. Paul sanctuary, where dozens of protesters interrupted the liturgy with chants of “ICE out!” The disruption forced the service to an abrupt stop, marking an escalation in the confrontation between immigration activists and federal enforcement officials.
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The protest specifically targeted the church’s pastor, who reportedly holds a high-ranking position within the local ICE field office.
President Trump weighed in on the incident with sharp condemnation, categorizing the demonstrators as “agitators and insurrectionists.” In a statement regarding the disruption, the President suggested severe consequences for those involved, stating they should be “thrown in jail, or thrown out of the Country.”
The clash inside the church arrives at a tense moment for Minnesota, which has become a focal point in the national debate over immigration policy. The Department of Justice’s decision to intervene signals a potential widening of federal scrutiny regarding protests that target government officials in their private or religious lives. READ: Don Lemon Melts Down Over DOJ Probe, Insists ‘Traumatic’ Church Raid Was Just News Coverage
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While the DOJ reviews the incident, the broader battle over the administration’s immigration crackdown continues to unfold across the Twin Cities, with legal challenges moving through Minnesota’s federal courts and opposing groups frequently meeting on the streets of Minneapolis.
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