The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) is looking into possible violations stemming from a protest by anti-ICE demonstrators at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 18, according to officials.
Footage circulating on social media shows protesters gathering inside Cities Church in St. Paul during a Sunday service, while chanting phrases like “Justice for Renee Good” and “Who needs justice, we need justice.”
Protests against ICE in Minnesota have escalated after a federal agent in Minneapolis fatally shot protester Renee Good, who allegedly drove her SUV toward the officer after being ordered to exit her vehicle during an ICE operation. Federal officials have said the officer opened fire in self-defense.
Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, said on X that federal officials are investigating protesters for potential violations for allegedly “desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers” during a service at Cities Church.
“Considering and investigating other related crimes as well. @FBI activated too,” Dhillon said in a subsequent post, suggesting the FBI will also be involved in the investigation.
Attorney General Pam Bondi later said on X that she has been in communication with Dhillon regarding the protests at Cities Church and has ordered the DOJ to investigate.
Bondi also warned that anyone found in violation of federal law will face prosecution.
YouTuber Don Lemon, who livestreamed the protest, said that anti-ICE protesters disrupted a church service at Cities Church following claims that one of the church pastors is serving as acting field office director for ICE in Minnesota.
In his video, Lemon spoke to the church’s lead pastor, Jonathan Parnell, as protesters gathered inside the church. Parnell said that he had requested the protesters to leave, but they refused.
“I mean this is unacceptable. It’s shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship,” Parnell told Lemon.
Lemon pointed to the First Amendment, highlighting the rights “to freedom of speech and freedom to assemble and protest,” and Parnell replied that the congregation had come “here to worship Jesus.”
When asked whether he had tried to talk to the protesters, Parnell said, “No one is willing to talk. I have to take care of my church and my family, so I ask that you actually would also leave this building.”
Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, said that his organization will step in and provide security for the church if local officials fail to take action.
“For protestors to disrupt a Sunday morning worship service this way is absurd. If elected officials won’t contain lawlessness @NAMB_SBC will provide security,” Ezell said on X.
The Epoch Times reached out to the Cities Church for comment, but did not receive a response by publication time.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz mobilized his state’s National Guard on Jan. 17 to support public safety amid ongoing protests across multiple cities in the state. The Minnesota National Guard said the soldiers will wear bright yellow reflective vests over their uniforms so protesters can “distinguish them from other agencies” such as ICE.
“These Soldiers are staged, and vehicles and personnel are ready to respond at locations across the metro,” Army Maj. Andrea Tsuchiya, state public affairs officer for the Minnesota National Guard, told The Epoch Times on Jan. 18.
Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.
Reprinted with permission from The Epoch Times by Aldgra Fredly.
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
Enough probes and investigations. Patriotic American Conservatives NEED to see indictments, prosecutions and penalties for the lawless amongst the population, including elected “representatives”. Anything less will continue to erode public trust and confidence in our great system.
“who allegedly drove her SUV toward the officer after being ordered to exit her vehicle“. Allegedly? Allegedly?? What type of lib spin is this? There is a video that shows she 100% clearly drove at and hit the agent. It also shows her clearly being ordered by LEO to exit the vehicle. There is no “allegedly” here. It is cut and dried.
Note to Pam Bondi and CA$H Patel: For the love of God, ARREST SOMEBODY!!!!!
Don Lemon should be in the “crossbar hotel” right now. Why aren’t these people arrested using the FACE Act?
The Biden administration had no problem sending 76 year old Paulette Harlow praying and lnterfering peacefully with an abortion clinic to prison, but Lemon and his goons can march into a church and disrupt services.
(BTW the FACE Act protects houses of worship, not just abortion clinics)
Yet another example of the two tiered “justice” system.
C’mon Pam Bondi, no more talk, The American people want to see action. DO YOUR JOB!!!
Jacob Frey the mayor say’s these paid demonstrators and other’s are doing this in the name of love. No, they really have nothing worth while to do. Like so many, they are a
drain on this country. Entering a church during a service? This says about all we need to know about this scum.
Free speech, right to assembly, by this logic the mob could enter any place, any gathering and harass and threaten people. Wedding, funeral, council gathering, congress in session, there evidently is no limit, when it comes to mob. Let anyone talk against the trans gender, male athletes in woman sports, question LGBTQ and will see about the free speech. Those mealy mouthed politicians are spineless gutless pukes’ as long as the slope bucket is full anything goes .It is the time for the hammer to come down.
I didn’t look up the law today but previous inquiry has told my layman mind that these people violated federal law by entering the church. I do not see where any “investigation” is needed, just the arrest of those photographed violating the law. If the FBI spent two years searching out those who entered the Capitol on Jan 6, surely they can identify and arrest those who violated the sannctity of a religious service. They were not expressing the right to “free speech”, but the denial of right to free religious practice.
It is time for action, NOT TALK. Maybe their punishment should be a detailted, extensivie class on the Constitution.
This terrorists need to be arrested for disruption and intimidation of a place of worship, which is off limits to demonstrations like this.
Must arrest don lemon too for inciting violence in a place of worship. Must be done now no questions asked.
George Soros must be so proud.
Rather than being frustrated at Pam Bondi, Harmeet Dhillon and the rest of our DOJ, support them. Especially in prayer. In interviews, Dhillon has been saying that the responsibility for immediate arrests after this church invasion lands on state officials. The state Attorney General is the one with the most authority to do so. And since that’s Keith Ellison, good luck with that! The Federal DOJ will act, but Dhillon says that she and her people have a lot more hoops that they have to jump through. Pam Bondi is down to 400 attorneys to handle the hundreds of cases that the DOJ has been hit with just this year, not counting going back to things like the Epstein case. People don’t realize that about half of her staff quit on her because they hate Trump and were part of the DC swamp that’s being drained. I believe Dhillon when she says that Lemon and company are being put on notice. It may take a little longer, but I believe we will see justice come down hard on them. That’s my prayer, and I’m a fighter! Luke 18:7 – “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.” (Jesus speaking has He gives the parable of the persistent widow.)
If ICE officials dared to enter a church to arrest where an illegal was hiding and claiming traditional “sanctuary inside a church” ….Boy would we hear about how they violated the church! Laws for thee but not for me!…
I always wonder that if any of the illegals that these idiots are fighting for would change their tune if one of their kids,relatives, etc., were killed or molested by these criminals. Or would their pride be so much more important that they wouldn’t admit they were wrong. I don’t think so, and like everything else, they’d find a way to twist in in order to blame Trump, ICE, whomever.
The libtards have sunk to an all time low, and gay beta-male Don Lemon can eat s**t.
The DOJ should also be investigating it as a hate crime (same as they would if it was a mosque that was attacked).
Time to put the squeeze on that Lemon!
America is dealing with moral-less, soul-less, anarchists. You CANNOT REASON with ANY of these Soros-paid and other radical left-wing, America-hating parasites. EVIL IS WHAT EVIL IS. And the new Democrat Socialist Communist party AND it’s supporters have emerged from the inner most bowels of Hell. They are the epitome of EVIL, in every sense of the word.
Arrest lemon,
And the rest of them, throw them in jail and leave them there.
Next time, maybe they’ll be met with Buck shot at the front door.
Sadly, these days every church should have security guards.
Since when did INS become ICE? And why the change of the department name?
It’s great the church-busting protesters are under the microscope, but there are proof-positive, large scale thieves, traitors and conspirators in our government. Pam only throws bread crumbs, going after minnows to make it look like she is going her job. Who does she really serve? Where are the big fish arrests? Why did Dan Bongino really leave his FBI position? Was he disgusted with the inept responses of the DOJ and FBI investigations? I think our President’s cabinet is infiltrated with people that definitely aren’t on-board with his agenda. It all comes out in the wash, stayed tuned.