Two incidents tied to federal immigration enforcement at churches on opposite sides of the country, one in St. Paul, the other in Los Angeles county, are raising renewed questions about whether federal law is being applied consistently, or selectively, when religious worship is disrupted.
On Sunday, January 18, in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, protestors flooded the inside of Cities Church in St. Paul after discovering that its pastor, David Easterwood, is reportedly the same top ICE official who is listed as working for the St. Paul ICE Field Office.
The Anti-ICE protestors were seen interrupting the middle of church service to chant and make their anger known about what they deem as hypocrisy for a pastor of the Christian faith to double as an ICE director.
The protestors were seen chanting, “ICE out now!” “David Easterwoord out now!” In video footage, David Easterwood does not appear to be present.