Congressman Mike Lawler Condemns Anti-ICE Protesters for Disrupting Churches and Intimidating Faithful

Tuesday, January 20, 2026 — Rep. Mike Lawler stated on Tuesday that anti-ICE protesters who disrupted a religious service at a St. Paul, Minnesota church on Sunday interfered with the free exercise of religion to “disrupt and create havoc” and intimidate people of faith, and must face punishment.

The protests targeted Cities Church in Minnesota, where they sought to expose David Easterwood, one of the church’s pastors who leads a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement office. Lawler described the protesters, including former CNN journalist Don Lemon, as engaging in a “highly coordinated effort, backed and funded by radical left-wing groups,” with their intent to disrupt and create havoc.

“They have been protesting ICE all throughout last year disrupting their abilities, trying to interfere with law enforcement, and they continue to act in a destructive manner,” Lawler said. He called it “shameful” that they would “storm into a church” and include a journalist in their efforts.

Lawler emphasized that such actions violate the First Amendment right to practice one’s faith without interference: “Here you have people going into a sanctuary, going into a church, and not only interrupting the service, but really trying to intimidate people of faith, and it’s wrong.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, have indicated they will investigate the incident and pursue federal charges against those involved.

Lawler also referenced a viral video showing an ICE agent in Minneapolis speaking to reporters while admonishing protesters for interfering with an operation. The agent stated that officers were attempting to arrest “a child sex offender” when vehicles nearby were “honking and impeding our investigations.”

The representative added that public interference with law enforcement endangers both officers and the public, and that ICE is enforcing federal immigration law to remove criminals. Lawler blamed sanctuary-style policies in states such as Minnesota, New York, and California for forcing federal agents to take action.

“If people don’t want ICE in, then they should end their sanctuary policies and local law enforcement should fully cooperate with federal immigration officials,” he stated.