Protesters interrupt St. Paul church service, citing pastor's ICE ties

Kristi Miller, Pioneer Press on Jan 18, 2026

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A group of protesters interrupted Sunday morning services at a St. Paul church because one of the pastors works with a federal immigration agency, according to police.

At approximately 10:40 a.m., officers were called to the Cities Church in the 1500 block of Summit Avenue after receiving reports that some 30 to 40 protesters had interrupted services, according to police spokesperson Nikki Muehlhausen.

By the time officers arrived, the group had left and was walking down the alley, she said.

In a Facebook post, protesters said they went to the church to ask for justice for Renee Good because they had identified a church pastor as the acting director for the St. Paul field office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The church’s website lists David Easterwood as a pastor. Easterwood is listed as a defendant in a Jan. 12 lawsuit filed by the state of Minnesota to halt the federal immigration crackdown that led to the fatal Jan. 7 confrontation between Good and an ICE agent.

Later Sunday, Trump administration officials condemned the protest at the St. Paul church, which is is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, a conservative Protestant denomination headquartered in Nashville, Tenn.

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