Minneapolis has seen a surge of anti-ICE protests in recent weeks, following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent on 7 January. The US Justice Department has now said it is investigating protesters who disrupted a Sunday service at a Minnesota church, accusing them of “desecrating a house of worship.”
The protesters, who were chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good” inside the Cities Church in St Paul, believe that one of the church’s eight pastors, David Easterwood, is a local ICE official. Easterwood was not leading the service on the day of the protest.
The Justice Department has vowed to use the “full force of federal law” against the demonstrators, with Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon saying the department “will pursue federal charges in this case.” This comes as the Pentagon has reportedly placed 1,500 soldiers on standby for possible deployment to Minneapolis, after President Trump suggested he may invoke the Insurrection Act to respond to the protests.
The Insurrection Act is a 19th-century law that allows the president to use active-duty military personnel to perform law enforcement duties inside the US. It was last invoked in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots following the acquittal of four police officers in the beating of Rodney King.
Elsewhere in the city, protests with occasional clashes have persisted at the Whipple building in Minneapolis, where federal agents are headquartered. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that at least 3,000 people have been arrested in Minneapolis since the deployment.
On Friday, a US federal judge issued an order limiting the crowd control tactics that can be used by ICE agents towards peaceful protesters in Minneapolis. This comes as the Justice Department has also opened investigations into Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, both Democrats, for allegedly impeding federal immigration operations.
The escalating tensions in Minneapolis are a reflection of the broader debate around President Trump’s immigration crackdown. With the deployment of thousands of ICE agents and the potential use of military force, the situation appears to be reaching a critical juncture.
