While a pastor in Minnesota was tending to his congregation during a church service, a group of protesters disrupted the gathering. They confronted him over his dual role as both a pastor and the director of ICE, which they claim has caused harm to their community.
In a video posted on TikTok, the pastor could be seen addressing the congregation as though delivering a sermon. The video was presented in a split-screen format: one side captured the disruption unfolding inside the church, while the other showed a woman reporting the incident.
“David Easterwood is a pastor here; he is also the director of the field office for ICE in Saint Paul,” the woman said. “So someone who claims to worship God, teaching people in this church about God, is out there overseeing ICE agents. Think about what we’ve experienced.”
She went on to list several incidents she attributed to ICE operations, including “A Venezuelan national shot by ICE,” a murder case, and a baby who nearly died as a result of ICE activity, among others.
“How dare you claim to be a pastor of God, and you are involved in evil in our community?” she fired at him. In another clip, the pastor responded to the criticism, saying that the church was focused on spreading love. He explained that the congregation had gathered for worship before being interrupted by the protesters. “We asked them to leave, and they obviously have not left,” he said, as the video showed protesters standing inside the church building loudly and repeatedly chanting “ICE,” while the pastor remained at the pulpit watching.
The video sparked mixed reactions online, with users taking strong and opposing stances. “You cannot serve 2 masters (Matthew 6:24),” one person immediately commented. Another wrote, “You can’t preach God’s words during the day and then do Satan’s work at night.”
A user referenced a biblical moment, saying, “So this is what watching Jesus flip the tables felt like.” Another added, “Preaching about the love of Jesus on Sunday, but carrying out the hate of this admin on Monday.” Some commenters called for action from the church itself.
“If that congregation doesn’t immediately make him step down, you know where that church stands!” one wrote.
Another commented on the incompatibility of the roles, stating, “A PASTOR AND ICE DIRECTOR is like water and oil!!!!” One user observed, “His guilt is pouring out of his eyes,” while another added, “They can disrupt schools and daycares and pull people out of their cars, but don’t disrupt their church service! Such a shame that this is America now! ICE needs to go away.” Others referenced scripture, writing, “Jesus warned us about folks like this… There are more demons in the church than on the street.” Another reflected historically, saying, “Throughout history, the name God has been used to commit unspeakable evil. When will people learn?”
Not everyone supported the disruption, however. Some criticized the protesters’ approach. “Someone should have confronted him, but my goodness, not in church,” one critic noted. Another wrote firmly, “That’s not disruption; that’s an attack on Christians during worship. And they’re all going to jail.”
Calling for legal consequences, another added, “These protests are despicable and a violation of civil rights. They have to go to jail.” According to the video’s caption, the protesters said they were demanding justice and calling on the pastor to use his authority to push for ICE’s removal from Minnesota.
They further stated that the purpose of disrupting the service was to inform the congregation of what they described as the pastor’s “double-mindedness”, preaching love and faith while simultaneously serving as a field director for ICE, which they believe contradicts the biblical command to love one’s neighbor.
