Eighth Circuit Says Probable Cause Exists but Declines to Order Arrest Warrants in St. Paul ICE Church Protest Case
The Eighth Circuit panel held that DOJ’s affidavits establish probable cause to charge five additional defendants — including former CNN anchor Don Lemon — in the disruption of a St. Paul church that targeted an ICE field‑office official, but declined DOJ’s unprecedented request to compel a district judge to sign arrest warrants. Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz rejected DOJ’s “emergency” framing (warning of “copycats”), called the worst alleged conduct protesters “yelling horrible things” with no violence, and noted DOJ has other remedies such as grand‑jury indictments or revised affidavits.
📌 Key Facts
- An Eighth Circuit three‑judge panel held that DOJ’s affidavits establish probable cause to charge five additional people in connection with the Cities Church disruption (including former CNN anchor Don Lemon) but refused DOJ’s request to compel a district judge to sign arrest warrants, saying there was no emergency and noting DOJ has other remedies such as grand jury indictments or reworked affidavits; Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz described the worst alleged conduct as protesters “yelling horrible things.”
- The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division (led publicly by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon and backed by Attorney General Pam Bondi and other senior officials) opened a federal probe into the church disruption and has said it is considering charges under the FACE Act and the Ku Klux Klan Act and will pursue prosecution where appropriate; DOJ officials publicly warned that journalists or others who joined/filmed the disruption could be investigated.
- Federal law enforcement has already arrested several people tied to the protest: TikTok activist William Kelly was taken into custody on a federal “conspiracy to deprive rights” charge, and civil‑rights organizer Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen were also arrested in connection with the incident, according to DOJ/FBI statements.
- About three dozen anti‑ICE protesters entered Cities Church during Sunday worship, livestreamed and chanted “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” disrupting the service; organizers (including Black Lives Matter Minnesota and Nekima Levy Armstrong’s Racial Justice Network) said the action targeted Pastor David Easterwood because court filings identify him as acting director of ICE’s St. Paul field office, though some outlets reported it was unclear whether Easterwood was physically present.
- The protest was part of broader unrest after ICE officer Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Nicole Good; DHS/ICE have defended Ross’s actions (saying he suffered internal torso bleeding and fired in self‑defense) and cited rising assaults on officers, while local officials and critics say the federal enforcement surge in Minneapolis — including ICE agents using crowd‑control tactics — has escalated tensions.
- Media, political and religious leaders sharply disagreed over the incident: Trump administration figures, DOJ spokespeople and many national Christian leaders condemned the church disruption and urged vigorous federal enforcement; local Minnesota leaders (Mayor Jacob Frey, Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, AG Keith Ellison) and civil‑rights advocates criticized federal tactics and the scope of DOJ’s response, and journalists like Don Lemon defended their coverage while reporting threats.
- On‑the‑ground coverage and reporting documented protesters inside the sanctuary and captured confrontational scenes; separate reporting raised concerns that DHS/ICE officers deployed to police protests often lack formal public‑order/crowd‑control training, and the ACLU of Minnesota has sought injunctions limiting ICE use of chemical agents, firearm displays at non‑threatening people, and interference with filming at demonstrations.
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
MIKE DAVIS: Don Lemon and his church-storming mob must face Ku Klux Klan, FACE Act charges
"This Fox News opinion piece comments on the St. Paul Cities Church protest (and Don Lemon’s participation), arguing the incident fits FACE Act and Ku Klux Klan Act violations and urging aggressive federal criminal enforcement — a perspective that directly responds to reporting about DOJ signaling possible FACE/KKK charges over the church invasion."
📰 Source Timeline (42)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 24, 2026
6:36 PM
Appeals court sees probable cause but refuses to order Don Lemon's arrest
New information:
- A three‑judge panel of the Eighth Circuit held that DOJ’s affidavits establish probable cause to charge five additional defendants over the Cities Church protest but refused DOJ’s request to compel a district judge to sign arrest warrants.
- Multiple sources confirm former CNN anchor Don Lemon is one of the five people for whom DOJ is seeking arrest warrants, after Magistrate Judge Doug Micko previously refused to sign Lemon’s warrant for lack of probable cause.
- Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz’s filing reveals DOJ made an "unheard of" demand that the district court review the magistrate’s probable‑cause determinations and sign five warrants, claiming an emergency and warning of "copycats" invading churches and synagogues if the warrants were not issued before the weekend.
- Schiltz wrote that the worst alleged conduct was protesters "yelling horrible things," that no violence occurred, and that in his view "there is absolutely no emergency," rejecting DOJ’s national‑security framing.
- The Eighth Circuit opinion notes DOJ has other avenues (such as grand jury indictments or re‑worked affidavits) and does not accept DOJ’s claim it "has no other" remedy, even while agreeing probable cause exists.
January 23, 2026
7:26 PM
ICE rejects ‘false narrative’ about family separation, asserts Minnesota church rioters were not peaceful
New information:
- ICE ERO Executive Assistant Director Marcos Charles gave a public statement rejecting what he called a 'false narrative' that ICE targeted a 5‑year‑old boy in Minnesota.
- Charles provided ICE’s detailed account: agents say the father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, fled and effectively left the child; officers stayed with the boy, took him to a drive‑through, attempted to reunite him at his home, and ultimately kept father and son together at a family residential center.
- Charles explicitly framed the Cities Church disruption as 'not a peaceful protest,' accusing demonstrators of rioting during services, screaming at children and denying congregants the ability to worship.
3:10 PM
Husband of alleged Minnesota church invasion organizer dismisses 'Beavis and Butt-Head' DOJ prosecution
New information:
- Confirms that Nekima Levy Armstrong has been arrested, with Attorney General Pam Bondi saying she 'played a key role' in organizing the Cities Church protest.
- Names Chauntyll Louisa Allen as another arrestee alongside William Kelly in connection with the church protest.
- FBI Director Kash Patel publicly links Armstrong’s arrest to alleged violation of the FACE Act’s protections for places of worship.
- Provides on‑camera reaction from Armstrong’s husband, Marques Armstrong, who calls the case a 'Beavis and Butt-Head' prosecution and insists the protest was nonviolent, with no harm to persons or property.
- Includes Bondi’s social‑media message declaring, 'WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,' framing the crackdown in explicitly deterrent terms.
2:06 PM
Anti-ICE Minnesota agitator arrested days after daring Bondi to do so
New information:
- Federal officials confirm that anti-ICE protester William Kelly has been arrested for his role in the disruption at Cities Church in St. Paul.
- DHS Secretary Kristi Noem states Kelly is being charged with "conspiracy to deprive rights," a federal crime tied to the church protest.
- FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi publicly announce Kelly's custody on X, framing the case as protection of religious freedom.
- The article documents that days before his arrest, Kelly posted a profanity-laced video challenging AG Pam Bondi to "come and get" him and asserting that protesters had been invited into the church and not asked by police to leave.
January 21, 2026
7:33 PM
Gabbard slams Democrats' 'hostility towards God,' condemns anti-ICE agitators who stormed church
New information:
- Tulsi Gabbard, now serving as Director of National Intelligence, publicly cites the St. Paul Cities Church protest as an example of what she calls Democrats’ 'hostility towards God' and says it was one of the main reasons she left the party.
- Gabbard’s X post characterizes the anti‑ICE protesters as trying to 'intimidate and terrorize innocent women, children, and men' in a church, labeling their behavior 'demoniac' and demanding they be 'held accountable.'
- Fox reiterates that Attorney General Pam Bondi has vowed 'the full force of federal law' against those who disrupted the service and that Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon is specifically examining whether the protesters violated the FACE Act’s protections for worshippers.
- The White House, via press secretary Karoline Leavitt and spokeswoman Abigail Jackson, again frames the incident as 'intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship' and folds it into a broader attack on 'radical leftists.'
5:25 PM
Noem says 'arrests coming' after anti-ICE mob targeted Minnesota church
New information:
- Kristi Noem posted on X that arrests are coming and said they would occur 'in the next several hours' during a Newsmax appearance.
- Noem explicitly blamed Minnesota 'sanctuary politicians and the media' for emboldening the church demonstrators, saying the First Amendment does not protect 'rioting.'
- Cities Church issued a detailed public statement describing the protesters as 'agitators' who 'frightened children,' calling the conduct 'shameful, unlawful,' and asserting that invading a church service to disrupt worship is protected by neither Scripture nor U.S. law.
- Additional description of protest videos shows demonstrators chanting 'Justice for Renee Good' and positioning themselves in the middle of the sanctuary as the pastor spoke, with one organizer calling it a 'clandestine mission' after learning a pastor was linked to ICE.
5:18 PM
Anti-ICE protester William Kelly dares Pam Bondi to arrest him after Minnesota church disruption
New information:
- Identifies TikTok activist William Kelly ('DaWokeFarmer') as one of the anti-ICE protesters who entered Cities Church and led chants during the service.
- Reports that Kelly has posted multiple videos directly taunting U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, including explicit language daring her to 'come and arrest' him and invoking Fred Hampton.
- Kelly claims in new clips that congregants 'welcomed' protesters, that no one asked them to leave, that police never removed them, and that prayer and music continued, arguing there is 'no basis' for federal charges.
- Notes allegations that Kelly previously harassed congregants at Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s church in Washington, D.C., expanding his profile as a repeat anti-ICE protest figure.
- Reiterates Bondi’s statement that DOJ will use 'the full force of federal law' against attacks on law enforcement and intimidation of Christians, now framed specifically in response to Kelly’s group.
11:00 AM
Pastors warn of 'chilling effect' after anti-ICE agitators storm Minnesota church service
New information:
- National Christian leaders including Franklin Graham, Albert Mohler and Pastor Paul Chappell publicly describe the Cities Church disruption as an unprecedented invasion of a worship service and warn it is intended to have a 'chilling effect' on churches.
- Mohler calls the incident 'without precedent' for left-wing protesters invading an evangelical church at worship and says clergy nationwide are alarmed.
- Pastors explicitly urge federal enforcement under the FACE Act, framing the disruption as both a religious-freedom violation and 'spiritual warfare.'
1:18 AM
Bondi vows accountability after church attack, says Minnesota ‘a mess right now’
New information:
- Pam Bondi, speaking from Minneapolis, personally condemned the Cities Church disruption as 'horrific' and broadened the frame to include protection for all places of worship, not just churches.
- Bondi revealed she has already spoken directly with Cities Church Pastor Jonathan Parnell and plans to meet with him in person.
- She publicly underscored that the Minnesota situation is 'a mess right now' and linked ongoing unrest and officer‑safety concerns to the federal decision to increase DOJ’s presence in the state.
- Her repeated 'no one is above the law' line reinforced earlier DOJ talk of potential FACE Act and Ku Klux Klan Act charges, but now with the Attorney General putting her own name and face on that stance.
January 20, 2026
11:15 PM
Minnesota pastor condemns anti-ICE agitators who interrupted service: ‘Shameful and unlawful’
New information:
- Cities Church pastor Jonathan Parnell issued a public statement calling the protestors’ conduct 'shameful, unlawful, and will not be tolerated.'
- Parnell explicitly framed the incident as an invasion that 'accosted members of our congregation, frightened children, and created a scene marked by intimidation and threat.'
- He called on local, state, and national leaders to protect the right to worship and said the church is consulting legal counsel on next steps.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi publicly stated she had spoken with the pastor and vowed that 'attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law,' reiterating DOJ’s intent to prosecute federal crimes tied to the protest.
10:53 PM
Leftist pastor calls Minnesota church invasion divine judgment on 'MAGA evangelicals' amid DOJ probe
New information:
- Louisiana minister Rodney Kennedy published a Baptist News Global opinion piece praising the protesters as 'unexpected prophets' and comparing the church invasion to Jesus 'cleansing the temple.'
- Kennedy explicitly casts the Cities Church disruption as divine judgment on 'MAGA churches' and 'MAGA evangelicals' for allegedly failing to love their neighbors and promoting 'resentment, nativism, nationalism, racism and militaris[m].'
- Kennedy predicts the Cities Church action was likely 'only round one,' signaling expectations of more such direct actions against churches tied to ICE-affiliated pastors.
- The article reiterates Cities Church’s statement calling the incident 'shameful, unlawful' and noting they are 'evaluating next steps' with legal counsel while urging political leaders to protect worship.
9:32 PM
Trump says he hopes Renee Good's father is still a 'Trump fan' following Minneapolis 'tragedy'
New information:
- Trump used the Jan. 20 White House press briefing to again frame anti‑ICE protests as actions by 'insurrectionists' opposing his deportation campaign.
- He leaned on the Renee Good case in selling mass removals of 'illegal alien gang members, drug dealers, murderers, child predators, human traffickers fraudsters and savage criminals,' while acknowledging 'mistakes' like Good’s killing would occur.
6:19 PM
Anti-ICE agitator defends invading church, claims 'it's what needed to be done'
New information:
- Identifies Chauntyll Allen, leader of Black Lives Matter Twin Cities, as one of the protesters who entered Cities Church during worship.
- Allen publicly defends the disruption in a TMZ interview, saying invading the church 'needed to be done' to get the message across.
- She ties the action directly to Pastor David Easterwood’s dual role as a pastor and acting ICE St. Paul field-office director, saying having 'the head of this whole operation' in the pulpit was 'really just not OK for us.'
- Allen invokes a religious justification, comparing the action to Jesus 'flipping tables' when 'things weren’t going right in the church.'
- Article reiterates federal officials’ account that Renee Good tried to use her vehicle as a weapon and that the ICE agent fired in self-defense, framing the shooting dispute that motivated the protest.
1:00 PM
What to know about the DOJ threats against Don Lemon after he followed anti-ICE protesters in St. Paul church
New information:
- DOJ officials are explicitly considering charges under both the FACE Act and the Ku Klux Klan Act against the anti‑ICE protesters who stormed Cities Church, and they have publicly said Don Lemon is among those under investigation.
- Assistant AG for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon stated that a house of worship is 'not a public forum' for protest and that Lemon’s claim of 'committing journalism' does not shield him from potential liability.
- Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox’s Will Cain that DOJ is 'absolutely investigating' Lemon and dismissed the idea that his actions are protected as freedom of the press, while Dhillon claims Lemon 'knew exactly what was going to happen' and embedded himself in the protest.
11:00 AM
Anti-ICE agitator who stormed Minnesota church service also harassed congregants at Pete Hegseth’s church
New information:
- Fox identifies one of the Cities Church disruptors as William Kelly, a TikTok activist known as 'DaWokeFarmer' with about 66,000 followers who regularly posts anti‑ICE and anti‑Trump content.
- Congregants at Christ Church in Washington, D.C., say Kelly has been a regular outside their services for months, hurling profane insults at families and children and following people to their cars.
- Members report the U.S. Secret Service arrested Kelly outside Christ Church in December after a filmed confrontation; Kelly himself says in a recent video that the Secret Service is pursuing disorderly‑conduct charges.
- Christ Church associate pastor Joe Rigney and church security say they compared video and concluded the same man seen harassing their congregants is the one who stormed Cities Church in Minnesota.
2:00 AM
Minnesota AG Keith Ellison denies Don Lemon, anti-ICE protesters violated FACE Act as DOJ mulls charges
New information:
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison went on Don Lemon’s YouTube show and asserted that the FACE Act is designed to protect access to reproductive‑health facilities, not to prosecute protests inside churches over a pastor’s conduct.
- Ellison said it is "beyond" him how DOJ is stretching the FACE Act and Ku Klux Klan Act to cover the Cities Church protest.
- Harmeet Dhillon, DOJ’s assistant attorney general for civil rights, publicly told Don Lemon on X that his embedded reporting in the sanctuary was not protected by the First Amendment and warned, "You are on notice."
- Lemon responded that he stands by his reporting, says he was one of several journalists present, and points to a wave of homophobic and racist threats from Trump supporters as DOJ signals possible charges.
January 19, 2026
11:49 PM
Christian leaders urge protecting worshippers' rights after protesters interrupt service
New information:
- Details that about three dozen protesters entered Cities Church during Sunday service, some approaching the pulpit and chanting 'ICE out' and 'Renee Good,' forcing the service to end early according to the Minnesota‑Wisconsin Baptist Convention.
- On-the-record reaction from Trey Turner of the Minnesota‑Wisconsin Baptist Convention calling the disruption an 'unacceptable trauma' and urging both compassionate pastoral care for migrants and firm protection of the 'sanctity' of worship services.
- Public statements from Kevin Ezell, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board, labeling the incident 'lawless harassment' and 'desecration of a sacred space.'
- Comments from Miles Mullin of the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission saying protests on social issues should never prevent others from worshipping and that 'for Baptists, our worship services are sacred.'
- Reaction from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president Albert Mohler calling the tactic of invading a congregation at worship 'unthinkable' and unjustifiable for Christians.
- AP context emphasizing broader Christian divisions over immigration policy and enforcement, contrasting white evangelical support for strong enforcement with Catholic leaders’ emphasis on migrant rights.
10:20 PM
Prominent Catholic bishop slams anti-ICE agitators who disrupted MN church service: 'Unacceptable'
New information:
- Identifies Bishop Robert Barron as a prominent Catholic leader weighing in on the Cities Church protest, calling the church invasion 'unacceptable' and a violation of religious liberty.
- Details Barron’s 'modest proposal' that the Trump administration and ICE temporarily limit enforcement to undocumented people who have committed serious crimes, politicians stop stoking resentment against officers, and protesters stop interfering with ICE.
- Reports that DOJ officials, including Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, publicly vowed to open an investigation into the church disruption for potential federal civil‑rights violations related to desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshipers.
- Adds Attorney General Pam Bondi’s statement that 'attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law,' and White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson’s claim that Walz and Frey 'whipped these rioters into a frenzy.'
9:00 PM
Anti-ICE agitators disrupt Minnesota church, shout down worshippers during Sunday service
New information:
- Confirms several dozen anti‑ICE protesters went inside Cities Church in Minneapolis during Sunday services and loudly disrupted worship, shouting 'ICE out' and 'Justice for Renee Good.'
- Identifies that protesters explicitly accused Pastor David Easterwood of also leading ICE’s local field office and confirms he was in the church at the time.
- Includes on‑camera reaction from former pastor Joe Rigney, who says the church is not political and describes children being frightened and parishioners being harassed.
- Quotes Attorney General Pam Bondi and AAG Harmeet Dhillon vowing DOJ will use 'full force of federal law' and calling the incident a 'heinous act' and a top‑priority civil‑rights matter.
- Notes Walz’s spokesperson saying the governor does not support interrupting worship, even as Rigney blames Walz and local officials for encouraging 'lawlessness' around ICE operations.
8:59 PM
Don Lemon responds to Trump DOJ's threat, stands by coverage of anti-ICE protest at Minnesota church
New information:
- Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon publicly told Don Lemon on X that a house of worship is not a public forum, that his conduct was not protected by the First Amendment, and that he is 'on notice.'
- Dhillon told YouTube host Benny Johnson that DOJ is 'getting our ducks in a row' on the case, that Lemon’s 'committing journalism' is not a shield if he was part of a conspiracy, and vowed DOJ would 'put people away for a long, long time' over similar church invasions.
- Don Lemon issued a detailed statement defending his conduct as journalism, saying he followed protesters to the St. Paul church without prior affiliation, stands by his reporting, and has received violent threats and racist/homophobic slurs from Trump supporters over the episode.
7:20 PM
Protest at Minnesota Church Service Adds to Tensions Over ICE Tactics
New information:
- Confirms that the Sunday protest at Cities Church in St. Paul was organized by civil‑rights lawyer Nekima Levy Armstrong and targeted pastor David Easterwood’s dual role as acting ICE field‑office director for enforcement and removal operations.
- Adds on‑the‑ground description from social‑media video of protesters chanting "ICE out" inside the sanctuary, halting the service and prompting congregants to leave while worship music played.
- Clarifies that Attorney General Pam Bondi personally spoke with a pastor at the church late Sunday and publicly framed the incident as both an 'attack against law enforcement' and 'intimidation of Christians' that will be 'met with the full force of federal law.'
- Notes that Cities Church, Easterwood and lead pastor Jonathan Parnell did not immediately respond to requests for comment and that it is unclear whether Easterwood was physically present during the protest.
6:32 PM
Rep Donalds accuses Minnesota Democrats of stoking anti-ICE unrest after agitators storm church
New information:
- Fox identifies the incident as an 'anti-ICE protest at a St. Paul church' in which protesters interrupted a worship service believing a pastor inside was affiliated with ICE.
- Rep. Byron Donalds publicly characterizes the church protesters as trampling the church’s First Amendment right 'to be able to worship.'
- Donalds uses the episode to accuse Minnesota Democrats generally of encouraging 'AstroTurf protesters' as a way to 'stand up to President Trump' because 'their party has no ideas.'
5:52 PM
DOJ says it will investigate, press charges after activists disrupt church where Minnesota ICE official is a pastor
New information:
- Confirms the protest was livestreamed by Black Lives Matter Minnesota and shows protesters chanting 'ICE out' and 'Justice for Renee Good' during services at Cities Church in St. Paul.
- Names Nekima Levy Armstrong and her group Racial Justice Network as organizers, with Armstrong on record dismissing the DOJ probe as a 'sham' and 'distraction' and arguing a pastor overseeing ICE raids is 'almost unfathomable.'
- Details that Cities Church’s own website lists David Easterwood as a pastor, and that his personal information matches the acting ICE St. Paul field‑office director who defended aggressive Minnesota tactics in a Jan. 5 court filing.
- Quotes Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon explicitly calling the disruption 'desecrating a house of worship' and warning that a church 'is not a public forum for your protest' but is protected space under federal criminal and civil law.
- Adds context from Easterwood’s Jan. 5 declaration defending license-plate swapping, chemical irritants, and flash-bangs in Minnesota, claiming rising threats against agents and the need for crowd-control devices.
5:21 PM
Don Lemon put 'on notice' by DOJ for role in covering protest that stormed church
New information:
- Harmeet Dhillon posted on X that Don Lemon is 'on notice' and asserted that filming inside the disrupted Minneapolis church service is not protected by the First Amendment.
- Dhillon said she is 'in touch with Attorney General Pamela Bondi' and that DOJ is 'all over it' and 'investigating potential criminal violations of federal law' tied to the church incident.
- Fox reports Lemon entered the church alongside anti‑ICE protesters and live‑streamed from inside, framing it as First Amendment–protected protest coverage.
- Dhillon told Benny Johnson that Lemon’s role as a journalist is not necessarily a shield against being treated as a potential party to a crime.
5:18 PM
White House says Walz, Frey incited chaos after anti-ICE mob storms Minneapolis church
New information:
- White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson explicitly accuses Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of having 'whipped these rioters into a frenzy' and 'turning them loose to wreak havoc on Minneapolis,' saying they should be 'ashamed for inciting such chaos.'
- The article reiterates DOJ’s intent, via Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, to investigate the Cities Church disruption for potential federal civil-rights violations against Christian worshipers and to use civil-rights statutes against those who intimidate worshipers, attack officers or fund violent protests.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a statement quoted here, frames the incident as part of broader 'attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians' that are 'being met with the full force of federal law.'
- The piece describes church video showing local police apparently absent from the scene during the disruption, noting Fox could not obtain comment yet from St. Paul police, adding a local enforcement-stance detail not in the earlier summary item.
5:08 PM
St Paul pastor denounces anti-ICE agitators who disrupted church service, says 'we're here to worship Jesus'
New information:
- On-camera interview with Cities Church lead pastor (identified as Jonathan Parnell) in which he calls the interruption 'unacceptable' and 'shameful' and stresses, 'We’re here to worship Jesus... that’s the hope of the world.'
- Video shows Don Lemon following protesters into the sanctuary, speaking with both demonstrators and congregants, and being asked by the pastor to leave.
- Harmeet Dhillon, as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, publicly reiterates on X that DOJ is investigating potential FACE Act violations for 'desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers,' explicitly tying this incident to that probe.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi says she personally spoke to the Cities Church pastor and vows that 'attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law.'
- Lemon posts a response stating he had no affiliation with the protesters, did not know they were heading to that church, and frames his presence as 'just practicing journalism' documenting the protest once it moved inside.
3:44 PM
Alina Habba says DOJ will 'come down hard' after anti-ICE mob disrupts Minnesota church service
New information:
- DOJ senior advisor Alina Habba went on 'Fox & Friends' and said the department will investigate 'everybody' tied to the Minnesota church disruption, including both protesters and potentially the mayor and governor.
- Habba publicly framed the investigation as grounded in the FACE Act, emphasizing that it covers force, threats, obstruction or interference at religious places of worship and carries criminal penalties.
- She said Attorney General Pam Bondi will 'come down hard' on anyone who intimidates worshipers or law-enforcement officers and that DOJ will also examine whether outside actors are funding non‑'righteous' protests that impede church attendance or endanger people.
12:23 PM
DOJ launches civil rights investigation after Minnesota agitators storm church
New information:
- Fox piece emphasizes that 'dozens' of protesters entered the sanctuary roughly halfway through the service and then followed congregants into the parking lot, surrounding some vehicles and trying to block them from leaving.
- Includes strong on‑the‑record quote from AG Pam Bondi that DOJ is 'mobilized to prosecute federal crimes' if state leaders 'refuse to act responsibly to prevent lawlessness.'
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt states that 'President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship.'
- Assistant AG for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon is quoted saying her team is 'hard at work' and that 'we will not rest until we are able to deliver justice.'
- Adds extended reaction from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Face the Nation, accusing federal agents of 'terrorizing people simply because they're Latino or Somali' and insisting protests are peaceful support for neighbors.
10:46 AM
DOJ probing protesters group that disrupted services at church with ICE pastor
New information:
- CBS provides detailed description of the protest, including livestreamed chants of "ICE out" and "Justice for Renee Good" inside Cities Church and that the protest was organized in part by Black Lives Matter Minnesota.
- The article ties Pastor David Easterwood by name to his role as acting director of the ICE St. Paul field office, noting his appearance with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and matching his personal details to the church’s leadership page.
- It quotes from a Jan. 5 court filing in which Easterwood defends Minnesota ICE tactics such as swapped license plates, chemical irritants and flash‑bangs, asserting he is not aware of agents "knowingly targeting or retaliating" against peaceful protesters.
- Civil-rights organizer and ordained reverend Nekima Levy Armstrong is quoted at length dismissing the DOJ probe as a "sham" and arguing that Easterwood’s dual role as pastor and ICE field-office head is "almost unfathomable."
- Attorney General Pam Bondi is quoted saying she is in "constant communication" with Dhillon, claims the DOJ investigation is at her direction, and frames the protest as "attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians" that will be met with the "full force of federal law."
4:05 AM
DOJ vows to press charges after activists disrupt church where Minnesota ICE official is a pastor
New information:
- ABC/AP confirms DOJ Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon publicly condemned the action as 'desecrating a house of worship' and said DOJ is investigating federal civil-rights violations by the protesters.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi added that any violations of federal law at the church 'would be prosecuted', signaling an explicit charging posture, not just an investigation.
- The article names Cities Church pastor David Easterwood as the same individual identified in court filings as the acting director of the ICE St. Paul field office, and notes his Jan. 5 court declaration defending ICE tactics such as license‑plate swapping and use of chemical irritants and flash‑bangs.
- Civil-rights leader and ordained reverend Nekima Levy Armstrong is quoted dismissing DOJ’s probe as a 'sham and a distraction' and arguing that having the ICE field-office chief as a pastor is 'almost unfathomable.'
12:47 AM
Anti-ICE mob storms Minnesota church over pastor's alleged ties to immigration enforcement
New information:
- Anti‑ICE protesters entered Cities Church in St. Paul during Sunday worship, chanting 'Justice for Renee Good' and positioning themselves in the sanctuary after activists claimed a pastor was tied to ICE.
- DHS publicly posted one of the protest videos and said agitators are 'targeting churches, too,' accusing Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of whipping 'mobs' into a frenzy.
- Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced that DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is investigating the incident as a potential violation of the federal FACE Act, which protects access to houses of worship.
- Mayor Jacob Frey, on CBS’ Face the Nation the same day, defended the broader protests as peaceful and said the federal surge is 'terrorizing' Latino and Somali residents rather than improving safety.
12:00 AM
Minneapolis police chief angered by some of ICE's tactics
New information:
- O'Hara directly questions ICE officer Jonathan Ross’s decision to stand in front of Renee Good’s moving vehicle multiple times, from a police‑procedure and de‑escalation standpoint, adding a professional‑policing critique to prior political criticism.
- He publicly associates current tensions with the '2020 moment' in Minneapolis, warning that the federal operation risks rekindling the kind of explosive unrest seen after George Floyd’s murder, a framing likely to resonate nationally.
January 18, 2026
8:10 PM
Kristi Noem chides CBS host for naming ICE agent involved in Renee Good shooting
New information:
- DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, in a CBS 'Face the Nation' interview, publicly scolded host Margaret Brennan for naming ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who shot Renee Nicole Good, arguing the media is 'doxing' law enforcement amid what she calls an '8,000‑percent increase in death threats' against officers.
- Noem asserted Ross 'got attacked with a car that was trying to take his life,' repeated the self‑defense narrative, and refused to discuss his medical status beyond saying she would not talk about his records, even as Brennan noted CBS had reported he suffered internal bleeding but was released the same day.
- Noem said ICE and DHS are using 'the exact same' investigative and review process used under the Biden administration, including the standard three‑day suspension protocol, but declined to confirm whether Ross specifically had been suspended.
- The piece recaps that Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, are calling for Noem’s impeachment over the shooting and accuse ICE agents of acting as 'judge, jury and executioner' on city streets.
January 17, 2026
3:02 AM
911 transcripts, documents detail chaotic scene after ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good
New information:
- Minneapolis officials released 17 pages of 911 call transcripts plus police and fire incident reports from the minutes after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good.
- Witness 911 callers reported seeing an ICE officer fire two shots through Good’s windshield at close range and said she then tried to drive away but crashed into a parked vehicle.
- A DHS-affiliated caller told 911 that officers were stuck in a vehicle, that there were 'agitators on scene,' and that 'shots [were] fired by our locals,' while asking for urgent assistance without providing a suspect description.
- Incident logs show fire/EMS began medical aid at 9:45 a.m., crowds formed and became 'hostile' by about 9:50–9:52 a.m., and the ICE shooter was removed from the scene by 10:04 a.m. as officials requested federal agents evacuate 'when safe and as fast as possible.'
- Reports note that some in the crowd began cutting crime‑scene tape as tensions escalated, prompting additional law‑enforcement deployments for crowd control.
January 16, 2026
6:00 PM
Tensions continue to surge in Minnesota after Wednesday shooting involving federal agent
New information:
- Introduces Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s explicit condemnation on X of Minnesotans being 'thrown to the ground, detained, pepper-sprayed, and threatened,' calling the conduct 'fundamentally un-American.'
- Documents front‑line accounts of ICE detaining Aliya Rahman, including agents smashing her car window and her claim she was denied medical care and lost consciousness in detention.
- Provides DHS’s counter‑characterization of Rahman as an 'agitator' who refused multiple commands to move her vehicle from the scene.
- Adds specific numbers and framing from Mayor Jacob Frey—600 MPD officers vs. 3,000 federal agents—and his declaration that their presence is 'unsustainable' and he has seen 'intolerable' ICE conduct.
- Reports DHS’s release of anonymized photos of an armed protester suspect with eyes blacked out, illustrating federal efforts to publicize select arrests while keeping identities obscured.
January 15, 2026
9:49 PM
As immigration agents police Minneapolis protests, experts warn of training gaps and the rising risk
New information:
- Provides on-the-ground descriptions of how DHS/ICE are actually policing Minneapolis protests: rifles pointed at crowds, rapid resort to chemical agents, vehicle windows broken and occupants pulled out, and physical confrontations with protesters.
- Introduces expert perspectives that ICE agents generally lack formal public-order/crowd-control training common in large local police departments, framing current tactics as a departure from best practices in de‑escalation.
- Reveals the ACLU of Minnesota’s specific legal demands for an injunction limiting chemical agents, firearm displays against non‑threatening people and interference with protest filming—concrete constraints that go beyond congressional criticism.
- Clarifies that the 2,000‑plus officer DHS surge into Minneapolis is drawing personnel whose usual remit is immigration arrests and investigations, not crowd management, underscoring the structural training gap critics fear.
8:32 PM
Minneapolis mayor who told ICE to 'get the f--- out' now calls for peace after another shooting incident
New information:
- The Fox article adds Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s justification that the city is being put in an "impossible situation" where residents expect local police to "fight ICE agents on the street," underscoring the operational strain on local law enforcement that critics of the raids had warned about.
- It supplies new Frey quotes calling ICE conduct "disgusting and intolerable" and accusing federal agents of "creating chaos," giving more specific local backlash to juxtapose with DHS and Vance’s argument that sanctuary policies forced ICE into the streets.
- The piece connects these local statements to Trump’s escalation, including his explicit Insurrection Act threat if Minnesota politicians do not curb attacks on ICE, tightening the link between sanctuary‑city disputes, street unrest and potential domestic military deployment.
8:22 PM
DHS slams Dems for complaining about immigration law: 'It is quite literally their job to change it'
New information:
- House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie Thompson led a Capitol news conference with Reps. Ilhan Omar, Al Green and others condemning DHS over immigration enforcement and the Renee Nicole Good killing and explicitly calling for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s impeachment.
- Rep. LaMonica McIver delivered a harshly worded statement directly at Noem, calling her 'terrible at doing your job,' 'incompetent,' 'shameless' and 'cruel' and vowing Democrats will remove her from office.
- DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a pointed written response saying DHS is a law‑enforcement agency enforcing 'the rule of law passed by Congress' and that if members dislike current statutes, 'it is quite literally their job to change it,' while again citing a 1,300% rise in assaults on ICE officers.
- McLaughlin accused Democratic lawmakers of prioritizing 'showmanship and fundraising clicks' over helping ICE remove criminals, and DHS paired the statement with highlight examples of recently arrested 'criminal illegal immigrants' under Trump’s crackdown.
January 14, 2026
5:14 PM
ICE agent struck by Renee Good's vehicle suffered internal bleeding to torso, DHS says
New information:
- Provides a DHS-confirmed medical detail—that Ross had internal torso bleeding—that supporters are likely to cite in arguing ICE must conduct street operations in hostile environments.
- Adds a concrete point of conflict with Mayor Frey, whose earlier comments downplayed the extent of the agent’s injuries.
January 13, 2026
9:13 PM
JD Vance, ICE flip script on sanctuary city leaders as 'chaos' erupts across MN: 'This is dangerous'
New information:
- Vice President JD Vance posted that 'you’re only seeing chaotic ICE raids in blue sanctuary cities where local officials are fighting against federal law enforcement' and accused local leaders of preferring 'rioting in their streets' over cooperation.
- ICE, via a public X post, asserted that in jurisdictions where local leaders cooperate with ICE to remove 'criminal illegal aliens,' violent protests like those in Minnesota 'do not occur' and operations proceed normally.
- DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin expanded on prior claims, saying Minnesota law enforcement 'won’t let us in their jails' and that sanctuary policies mean DHS must locate 'murderers, kidnappers and child pedophiles' in the streets without local backup, calling the situation 'dangerous for our officers and the community.'
- The piece situates these statements amid 'nearly a week of frequent violent anti‑ICE demonstrations' in Minneapolis after ICE officer Jonathan Ross fatally shot activist Renee Nicole Good, and highlights Mayor Jacob Frey’s repeated public attacks on ICE and claim that 'thousands' of federal agents have been sent to target Minnesota for partisan reasons.