Activists opposing ICE have defended their actions when they disrupted a church service in Minnesota, stating that it “needed to be done.” Chauntil Allen, who leads Black Lives Matter Twin Cities and participated in the protest, described ICE as “terrifying our women and children.” She referred to the recent shooting death of Renee Nicole Good, 37, by ICE agents as “the most graphic murder.”
The protest targeted Cities Church in St. Paul after the group discovered that its pastor, David Easterwood, shares a name with the acting director of ICE’s St. Paul field office. “The person in charge of this operation is preaching to the congregation every Sunday morning,” Allen noted, emphasizing that this was unacceptable to them.
Easterwood was present during the protest, which has prompted the Justice Department to launch an investigation into the matter. Allen defended the disruption, saying, “I think it was necessary to get the message across.” She mentioned her background in Christianity, recalling how Jesus reacted when he felt things were amiss in a church setting.
Video footage captured a group of anti-ICE protesters storming the church, chanting “Justice for Renee Good” inside. Another video showed the chaos unfolding while the pastor spoke, with a bystander describing the situation as a “secret mission” after they learned of the pastor’s ties to ICE.
The uproar over Good’s death led to protests in Minneapolis, where activists clashed with law enforcement. Federal officials indicated that the ICE agent acted in self-defense, stating he fired when Good attempted to use his vehicle as a weapon against officers.
