Who Is David Easterwood: Minneapolis Pastor Allegedly Aiding ICE, Now Critics Call Him A Hypocrite

A pastor at a Minnesota church has found himself at the centre of a growing national controversy after activists accused him of playing a dual role in both the pulpit and federal immigration enforcement.

David Easterwood, a pastor at Cities Church in St. Paul, is also the acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's St. Paul field office. That overlap sparked protests on Sunday, when demonstrators interrupted a Sunday service, accusing Easterwood of preaching Christian compassion while overseeing immigration operations linked to alleged violence in the Twin Cities.

The incident has since drawn responses from federal authorities and intensified debate over faith, power, and accountability during an aggressive immigration enforcement push in Minnesota.

The Pastor and the ICE Official

According to reports, Easterwood serves as one of several pastors at Cities Church, a non-denominational evangelical congregation known for sermons centred on biblical teachings, community, and loving one's neighbour.

At the same time, he holds a senior federal role as acting director of ICE's St. Paul field office, which oversees immigration enforcement operations across Minnesota.

His ICE role has placed him in public view before. According to reports, in October 2025, Easterwood appeared alongside Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem at a Minneapolis press conference defending ICE operations in the region.

According to DHS materials, the St. Paul office has overseen a surge in enforcement activity since late 2025. That overlap between religious leadership and immigration enforcement has become the central focus of criticism.

Church Service Disrupted Over ICE Allegations

On Sunday, approximately 30 to 40 protesters affiliated with Black Lives Matter Minnesota and the Racial Justice Network entered Cities Church during a Sunday service. Video from the scene shows demonstrators chanting 'ICE out' and addressing the congregation directly.

Organisers said the protest was aimed at exposing Easterwood's dual role. They cited ICE actions in Minneapolis, including the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, during an ICE operation earlier this month.

Protesters accused ICE agents of using unmarked vehicles, swapping license plates, and deploying flash-bang grenades and chemical irritants during raids.

Pastor Jonathan Parnell was speaking when the disruption occurred. Easterwood was either not present or had already left the service. No arrests were made at the church.

Nekima Levy Armstrong and Monique Cullars-Doty, who helped organise the protest, said their goal was to confront what they described as 'double-mindedness' — preaching Christian love while overseeing enforcement that they say harms immigrant communities.

Don Lemon, an ex-CNN journalist who was covering the protest on the ground on Sunday, confronted Parnell inside the church, where Parnell said, 'It's shameful to disrupt a Christian gathering...We are here to worship Jesus,' to which critics asked, 'Which part of the Bible preaches this practice?'

Why Critics Call It Hypocritical

At the centre of the backlash is a perceived conflict between Easterwood's pastoral teachings and his professional responsibilities.

Cities Church emphasises biblical values such as compassion, mercy, and care for vulnerable people. Protesters argue those principles clash with ICE operations carried out under Easterwood's leadership, particularly during a period of intensified enforcement in Minnesota.

In a 5 January 2026 court filing related to challenges against ICE conduct, Easterwood defended the agency's tactics. According to the filing, he argued that measures such as flash-bang grenades and crowd-control tools were necessary to protect agents from threats during operations.

Activists say that the justification underscores their concern. 'You cannot preach love thy neighbour while directing raids that traumatise families,' Armstrong said during the protest, according to footage shared online.