DOJ Investigates Church Disruption Amid Alleged ICE Link (Full Transcript)

Name: DOJ Investigates Church Disruption Amid Alleged ICE Link
Uploaded: 2026-01-19T16:17:26+00:00
Channel: GoTranscript
Description: Protestors disrupted a St. Paul church service over claims a pastor leads the local ICE office; DOJ is probing possible civil-rights violations.

Protestors disrupted a St. Paul church service over claims a pastor leads the local ICE office; DOJ is probing possible civil-rights violations.

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[00:00:03] Speaker 1: The Department of Justice said it's investigating a group of protestors who disrupted a church service in Minnesota. Protestors allege that one of the church's pastors, David Easterwood, is a leader of the local ICE field office, according to the Associated Press. That office is overseeing operations that have involved violent tactics and alleged illegal arrests. Video was posted on the Facebook page of Black Lives Matter Minnesota, one of the organizers of the protests. It's unclear if Easterwood was at this Sunday's service. The website of City's Church, which is based in St. Paul, lists David Easterwood as a pastor. His personal details also appear to match the court filings of the acting director of the ICE field office in St. Paul, according to the Associated Press. In October, Easterwood can also be seen alongside DHS Secretary Kristi Noem at a press conference. A U.S. Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General said on X her agency is investigating federal civil rights violations of the protestors for quote, desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshipers. Meanwhile, Black Lives Matter Minnesota co-founder Monique Cullors-Doty said, We can't sit back idly and watch people go and be led astray. City's Church did not respond for comment on Sunday evening, and Easterwood's personal contact information could not immediately be located for comment.

Summary

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating protestors who disrupted a church service at City’s Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Protestors, including organizers from Black Lives Matter Minnesota, allege that pastor David Easterwood is also the acting director of the local ICE field office involved in operations accused of violent tactics and illegal arrests. The DOJ’s Assistant Attorney General said the probe concerns potential federal civil rights violations for desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worship. The church did not respond for comment, and it is unclear whether Easterwood was present at the service; reporting notes apparent matches between his personal details and ICE court filings and shows him at a DHS press conference.

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Title

DOJ probes protest disruption at Minnesota church over alleged ICE ties

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Keywords

Department of Justice Remove

investigation Remove

protestors Remove

church service disruption Remove

City’s Church Remove

St. Paul

Minnesota

Black Lives Matter Minnesota Remove

David Easterwood Remove

ICE field office Remove

civil rights violations Remove

desecration Remove

interference with worship Remove

Associated Press Remove

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Remove

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Key Takeaways

DOJ is investigating protestors who disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Protestors allege the church pastor David Easterwood is also a leader/acting director of the local ICE field office.
Reporting cites apparent matches between Easterwood’s details and ICE court filings and shows him at a DHS press event.
DOJ frames the inquiry as potential federal civil rights violations related to interfering with worship.
City’s Church did not respond to requests for comment; it’s unclear if Easterwood attended the service.

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Sentiments

Neutral: The passage is primarily factual reporting about an investigation and allegations, with emotionally charged terms ("desecrating," "violent tactics," "illegal arrests") attributed to sources rather than editorialized by the narrator.

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