• The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating protests at a church linked to an ICE official.
• Protesters disrupted services, chanting against ICE and honoring shooting victim Renee Good.
• Assistant Attorney General emphasized protections for places of worship amid federal laws.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced an investigation into protesters in Minnesota who disrupted a church service at Cities Church in St. Paul, where a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official, David Easterwood, serves as a pastor. During the protest, demonstrators chanted "ICE out" and "Justice for Renee Good," referencing the recent fatal shooting of a mother of three by an ICE agent amid rising federal immigration enforcement actions, according to Los Angeles Times and CBS News.

Protesters allege that Easterwood oversees aggressive ICE operations, claiming that these tactics involve violent arrests and other unlawful measures. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon condemned the disruptions as federal civil rights violations, claiming such actions "desecrate" a space meant for Christian worship, according to Los Angeles Times and India Times.

The incident at the church has escalated tensions between federal law enforcement and Minnesota civic leaders. Following the protest, Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that breaches of federal law will be prosecuted, emphasizing the DOJ's commitment to maintain law and order, as reported by CBS News and India Times.

While the DOJ investigation targets alleged civil rights violations due to the interruptions, protest leaders defend their actions as a necessary call for accountability from the church and ICE. Nekima Levy Armstrong, a participant in the protest, criticized the disproportionate concern over disruptions rather than the "atrocities" faced by the community due to ICE actions, according to Los Angeles Times and CBS News.

Cities Church has not offered comments following the incident, as the community calls for deeper discussions on the intersection of faith and immigration policy, amidst rising concerns about systemic injustices linked to federal enforcement actions against immigrants, according to India Times and Los Angeles Times.