司法部表示，他们正在调查一起事件，在这起事件中，反冰抗议者扰乱了周日明尼苏达州一所教堂的服务，其中一名牧师是冰官员。
录像发布在网上由黑人的命也是命明尼苏达州显示抗议者进入城市教堂在圣保罗，在那里他们说，其中一名牧师，大卫伊斯特伍德，是代理现场主任的圣保罗冰场办公室。
据黑人的命也是命明尼苏达州称，抗议发生时，伊斯特伍德不在教堂。乔纳森·帕内尔是教堂的牧师，可以在视频中看到他与抗议者交谈。
“有人声称崇拜上帝，在这个教堂里教人们关于上帝的知识，却在外面监督ICE特工。想想我们经历了什么，”在黑人的命也是命明尼苏达州的视频中，一名抗议者告诉教堂内的会众。
司法部长帕姆·邦迪说:“我刚刚和明尼苏达州的牧师谈过，他的教堂成为了袭击目标。”发布于X星期天。"对执法人员的攻击和对基督教徒的恐吓正受到联邦法律的全力打击。"
“如果国家领导人拒绝采取负责任的行动来防止无法无天的行为，司法部将继续动员起来起诉联邦罪行，并确保法治占上风，”邦迪的帖子继续说。
DOJ民权部门助理司法部长Harmeet Dhillon同样表示，他们正在调查这一事件。
迪伦说:“昨天发生在明尼苏达州的这起令人发指的行为受到了最高级别的关注。”张贴在x，" @AGPamBondi "&我夜以继日地工作，因为在我们的宪法中，没有任何权利比集会自由更神圣&向上帝祈祷。"
迪隆还说他们正在调查教堂抗议，认为这是“对联邦面子法案的潜在违反”这1994年自由出入诊所入口法将恐吓或干涉任何“试图在宗教礼拜场所行使第一修正案宗教自由权”或试图获得或提供生殖健康服务的人定为联邦犯罪。针对堕胎服务提供者和寻求堕胎服务者的暴力犯罪促成了这项立法。
“大约在星期天上午10点40分。圣保罗警察局在一份声明中告诉ABC新闻，1月18日，圣保罗警察对位于Summit Ave街区的城市教堂做出了回应。在接到多个电话报告约30至40名抗议者中断教堂服务后，“圣保罗警察局在一份声明中告诉ABC新闻。
"当警察赶到现场时，这群人已经离开教堂，开始沿着小巷走去。圣保罗警方继续监视抗议活动，”声明总结道。
圣保罗警方发言人后来在一份声明中说，他们“正在积极调查这一事件，作为一项扰乱治安的调查”，由于调查正在进行，当时没有额外的公开信息。
城市教堂网站将伊斯特伍德列为他们的牧师之一。10月24日，伊斯特伍德还和国土安全部部长克里斯蒂·诺姆一起露面记者招待会在明尼阿波利斯，诺姆确定他是该地区ICE代理现场办公室主任，负责执行和清除操作。
伊斯特伍德也是包括诺姆在内的几个党派之一集体诉讼上周由美国公民自由联盟提起诉讼，指控明尼苏达州ICE的“非法政策和做法”，包括种族貌相和没有逮捕令或可能原因的逮捕。
冰将混乱归咎于明尼苏达州州长蒂姆·瓦尔兹(Tim Walz)和明尼阿波利斯市市长雅各布·弗雷(Jacob Frey)，在社交媒体上表示，他们“应对这些暴民陷入疯狂负责，然后让他们猖獗起来。”
“州长一再明确敦促抗议者和平示威，”沃尔兹的一名发言人在回应美国广播公司新闻采访时表示。“虽然人们有权畅所欲言，但他绝不支持打断一个礼拜场所。”
截至周一下午早些时候，弗雷还没有公开发表对教堂抗议的讲话。他在X上发表了马丁·路德·金博士的一段话，以纪念周一的联邦假日，纪念这位已故的民权领袖。
“‘任何地方的不公正都是对所有地方公正的威胁。’金博士说得好。在MLK日，我想起了他的呼吁，即坚持正义，爱他人，当权力太大时大声疾呼。当联邦政府采取相反的行动时，我们将继续与我们的邻居站在一起，”弗雷说张贴.
DOJ investigating after protesters disrupt service at St. Paul church where ICE field director is pastor
The Justice Department said they are investigating an incident in which anti-ICE protesters disrupted a service on Sunday at a Minnesota church where one of the pastors is an ICE official.
Videoposted onlineby Black Lives Matter Minnesota shows protesters entering Cities Church in St. Paul, where they said one of the pastors, David Easterwood, is the acting field director of the St. Paul ICE field office.
Easterwood was not at the church at the time of the protest, according to Black Lives Matter Minnesota. Jonathan Parnell is the church's pastor and can be seen talking to the protestors in the video.
"Someone who claims to worship God, teaching people in this church about God, is out there overseeing ICE agents. Think about what we've experienced," a protestor tells the congregation inside the church in the Black Lives Matter Minnesota video.
"I just spoke to the Pastor in Minnesota whose church was targeted," Attorney General Pam Bondiposted on XSunday. "Attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law."
"If state leaders refuse to act responsibly to prevent lawlessness, this Department of Justice will remain mobilized to prosecute federal crimes and ensure that the rule of law prevails," Bondi's post continued.
Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ's Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon likewise said they are investigating the incident.
"This heinous act that occurred in Minnesota yesterday is receiving the highest level of attention from @TheJusticeDept," Dhillonpostedon X. "@AGPamBondi&I are working around the clock, because no right in our Constitution is more sacred than the freedom to assemble&pray to God."
Dhillonalso saidthat they were investigating the church protest as "potential violations of the federal FACE Act." TheFreedom to Access Clinic Entrances Act of 1994makes it a federal crime to intimidate or interfere with any person "seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship," or attempting to obtain or provide reproductive health services. The legislation was prompted by violent crimes that were being committed against abortion providers and those seeking their services.
"At approximately 10:40 a.m. on Sun. Jan. 18, Saint Paul Police officers responded to Cities Church on the 1500 block of Summit Ave. following multiple calls reporting approximately 30 to 40 protesters who interrupted church services," the St. Paul Police Department told ABC News in a statement.
"By the time officers arrived on scene, the group had moved outside the church and began to walk down the alley. Saint Paul Police continued to monitor the protest," the statement concluded.
A St. Paul Police spokesperson later said in a statement that they are "actively investigating this incident as a disorderly conduct investigation” and had no additional public information at the time due to the investigation being open.
The Cities Churchwebsitelists Easterwood as one of their pastors. Easterwood also appeared with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during an Oct. 24news conferencein Minneapolis, where Noem identified him as an ICE acting field office director in the region who is with Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Easterwood also is one of several parties, including Noem, named in aclass action lawsuitfiled last week by the ACLU alleging "unlawful policies and practices" by ICE in Minnesota, including racial profiling and arrests without warrants or probable cause.
ICEblamed the disruption on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, saying on social media that they “are responsible for whipping these mobs into a frenzy and then allowing them to run rampant.”
“The Governor has repeatedly and unequivocally urged protesters to do so peacefully," a spokesperson for Walz told ABC News in response to a request for comment. "While people have a right to speak out, he in no way supports interrupting a place of worship.”
Frey had not publicly addressed the church protest as of early Monday afternoon. He did post a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on X, to mark Monday's federal holiday commemorating the late civil rights leader.
“'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' Dr. King said it best. On MLK Day, I’m thinking about his call to stand up for justice, love others, and speak out when power goes too far. As the federal gov moves the opposite way, we’ll keep standing with our neighbors," Freyposted.
