Protest Disrupts Church Service: A Call for Compassion and Rights Protection

Tue Jan 20 2026 08:27:01 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Faith leaders and community activists clash over the rights of worshippers and migrant families following a disruptive protest at a Minnesota church, highlighting deep divisions in U.S. immigration policies.

A protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, culminated in disruptions during a Sunday service, leading to urgent calls from faith leaders for the protection of worship rights and compassion towards migrants. The incident followed an immigration enforcement operation that tragically resulted in the shooting death of a woman by an ICE agent. The outcry from leaders highlights the complexities and divisions regarding immigration enforcement among Christian groups in the U.S.

In a significant clash of ideologies, several faith leaders are advocating for the urgent protection of worshippers' rights and expressing deep compassion for migrant families after a protest disrupted a service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Protesters entered the church, loudly chanting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a recent immigration enforcement operation that had tragic consequences, including the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by an ICE agent.

Pastor David Easterwood, who leads the local ICE field office, found himself at the heart of the confrontation, as protesters demanded accountability and change. Nekima Levy Armstrong, a noted activist and ordained reverend, led the protest, emphasizing the need for urgency in protecting both the sanctity of places of worship and the rights of immigrants.

The disruption was characterized as “an unacceptable trauma” by the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention, calling for a dual approach to provide compassionate support for migrant families while safeguarding houses of worship. In a statement to the Associated Press, Trey Turner, leader of the convention, affirmed the need for empathetic pastoral care for migrants.

Video footage from the event showcased the tensions as services were forced to cease amid the uproar, with church leaders decrying the incident as not just protest, but harassment that contradicted the essence of religious freedom.

Amidst the turmoil, the U.S. Department of Justice has initiated a civil rights investigation. This incident has emerged against a backdrop of increasingly fraught immigration enforcement in Minnesota, where over 2,000 federal officers have clashed with community activists during heightened operations.

Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, condemned the protest as a violation of sacred space in faith communities, drawing attention to a growing divide within U.S. Christianity regarding immigration policies. While some Christian groups advocate for more stringent enforcement, others emphasize human compassion and the moral obligation to assist migrants.

The Southern Baptist Convention remains the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., and its clerical leaders are now urged to take a firmer stance against actions that inhibit worship services. Miles Mullin, leading a key ethical committee within the convention, stressed that the sanctity of worship services must be upheld, warning against the politicization of such sacred spaces.

This recent protest at Cities Church illuminates broader national conversations regarding immigration enforcement and the associated moral dilemmas within the Christian community, reflecting a complex landscape where belief, law, and social justice are often at odds.