Republican State Rep. Isaac Schultz is calling for a criminal investigation into the anti-ICE protesters who stormed a St. Paul church last Sunday.
Two days ago, a throng of anti-ICE agitators stormed into Cities Church and disrupted its Sunday morning worship service. Protesters screamed at women and children, harassed churchgoers, shouted anti-ICE chants, and created such turmoil in the sanctuary that the worship service had to be abandoned.
The agitators allegedly stormed the church because they believed one of the pastors is an ICE official. In recent weeks, anti-ICE protests have erupted across Minnesota as federal agencies have conducted a large-scale immigration enforcement effort in the Twin Cities.
Much of the protest activity began after the Jan. 7 death of Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis woman who was shot and killed by an ICE agent. Federal authorities have said the ICE agent acted in self-defense after Good weaponized her vehicle against the agent.
Since Cities Church was stormed, religious leaders have denounced the agitators, and the Trump administration has begun investigating the protesters for violations of federal law. However, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has been dismissive about what happened.
Asked about what unfolded at the church, Ellison told Don Lemon that “protest is fundamental to American society. This country started in a protest, and it’s freedom of expression. People have a right to lift up their voices and make their piece, and none of us are immune from the voice of the public.”
“Quite honestly, I think that you got the First Amendment, freedom of religion and freedom of expression, and I think that, you know, it’s just something you gotta live with in a society like this,” he said.
After criticizing the Trump administration for “not caring about sacred and sensitive places unless it works in their favor,” the attorney general said, “I think that if people want to protest the behavior of a particular religious leader, then people are allowed to do that.”
Schultz calls on local officials to bring charges against protesters
On Monday, Schultz sent a letter to Ellison and St. Paul City Attorney Irene Kao which demanded an “immediate investigation into the disruption of a lawful worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul on January 18, 2026.”
A two-term legislator, Schultz said Minnesota law criminalizes “conduct that intentionally disrupts or disturbs a lawful religious assembly,” and said “misdemeanor charges are plainly warranted for those who participated [in the disruption at Cities Church].”
In his letter, Schultz referenced Minnesota Statutes 609.28, a law which bans interfering with religious observance, as well as Minnesota’s disorderly conduct statute. Anyone guilty of an offense under either statute would be guilty of, at minimum, a misdemeanor.
Additionally, Schultz’s letter referenced Article I, Section 16 of the Minnesota Constitution which states that “the right of every man to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience shall never be infringed.”
Denouncing what happened, Schultz said, “If this same conduct had occurred inside a mosque or synagogue, it would be rightly and immediately condemned and prosecuted. Christians and all faith communities are entitled to equal protection under the law.”
In turn, Schultz asked the attorney general and St. Paul city attorney to investigate the incident and pursue charges “to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Failure to act decisively will signal that religious freedom in Minnesota is negotiable and that unlawful intimidation of faith communities will be tolerated which is an outcome wholly incompatible with our Constitution and the rule of law,” added Schultz.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
