Democrat congresswoman claims anti-ICE mob had 'every right' to storm Minnesota church service
'Churches have always been an open door,' says Rep. Adelita Grijalva
Quick Summary
- A Democratic congresswoman has defended the actions of protesters who stormed a Minnesota church service.
- Protesters disrupted the service to protest federal arrests of illegal immigrants.
- Individuals involved in the disruption face charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
A Democrat congresswoman has defended the actions of a coordinated insurgent mob that stormed a Minnesota church service to protest federal authorities' arrest of criminal illegal immigrants in the state.
On Jan. 18, a crowd of protesters, including members of the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota, entered the sanctuary of Cities Church, chanted slogans such as "ICE out!" and demanded justice for Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman who was fatally shot on Jan. 7 by a federal immigration officer as she plowed into him while behind the wheel of her Honda Pilot.
The protest, co-organized by BLM, also led to a confrontation between Cities Church Senior Pastor Jonathan Parnell and former CNN reporter Don Lemon. The protesters were upset that one of the church’s pastors, David Easterwood, leads a local ICE field office in St. Paul.
In a Jan. 19 appearance on CNN, U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., said the people who barged into Cities Church in St. Paul during a Sunday morning worship service were “not violent” and had “every right” to disrupt the worship service after learning that “someone that’s supposed to be speaking for the community in church” is “a federal agent that is running ICE in their communities,” referring to Easterwood.
CNN: Do you believe it was a step too far for protesters to go into a church?
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) January 20, 2026
Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ): I don’t. I don’t... Churches have always been an open door... Those protesters were not violent in any way. pic.twitter.com/5IrHnnSsp4
“Churches have always been an open door,” the 55-year-old Grijalva told CNN’s “The Source” host Jim Sciutto.
When asked whether she believes the activists went too far in disrupting the Sunday service, Grijalva replied, “I don’t. … I think that when they find out that someone that’s supposed to be speaking for the community in church is found out to be an ICE … a federal agent that is running ICE in their communities, they have the right to go in there."
The disruption prompted condemnation from some government officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, who announced last Thursday the arrest of three individuals involved in the disruption and their charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel announced that two of the activists, Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, had been charged under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits "intentionally injuring, intimidating, or interfering with ... [anyone] seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship."
Last month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused Grijalva of impeding the arrests of 46 illegal immigrants in Tucson, Arizona, including some who had previous arrests for sexual assault. DHS also accused her of falsely claiming she was pepper-sprayed by ICE officers.
According to DHS, when the mob grew violent, assaulted ICE officers and slashed tires, Grijalva “joined the rioting crowd and attempted to impede law enforcement officers, then took to social media to slander law enforcement by falsely claiming she was pepper sprayed.”
Video of the incident shared on social media on Dec. 5, 2025, appeared to show Grijalva harassing ICE agents as they conducted arrests at a Tucson restaurant.
