Hardworking Americans watched in disbelief as a group of anti-ICE agitators brazenly barged into a house of worship in St. Paul and began shouting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good” in the middle of a service, terrifying congregants and disrupting prayer. This wasn’t a spirited debate on a public sidewalk — it was an invasion of private religious space at a time reserved for worship, and footage shows people being confronted while their families tried to worship in peace. The incident has rightly sparked outrage across communities that cherish religious liberty and basic decency.
Federal law exists for a reason: when protesters cross the line from speech into obstruction, intimidation, and chaos, they become criminals, not activists. The Department of Justice has opened investigations and authorities are examining potential violations of statutes designed to protect access to houses of worship, and multiple organizers tied to the disruption now face legal consequences. This should be a warning to anyone who thinks their cause excuses trampling other Americans’ constitutional rights — the law does not permit theatrical trespassing.
Make no mistake: this is not an isolated outburst but part of a coordinated campaign that has swept through Minneapolis and beyond, with mass “ICE Out” demonstrations, clergy-led airport sit-ins, and calls for economic shutdowns that have shuttered shops and strained communities. Tens of thousands have been stirred into action, and in some cases protests have escalated into direct actions that intentionally interfere with daily life and worship. Ordinary people who work hard, run small businesses, and go to synagogue or church on the weekend are the ones left picking up the pieces.
Conservatives should not be shy about defending the rule of law and the sanctity of religious practice. The FACE Act and related statutes were crafted to draw a clear line between lawful protest and unlawful obstruction; they protect worshippers’ right to enter and exit houses of worship without fear of intimidation or being physically blocked. When protest tactics mirror the very lawlessness they claim to oppose, neutral prosecutors must do their duty and hold those responsible to account.
It’s also worth noting the selective outrage and double standards that often follow when certain communities are targeted versus when other places of worship are disrupted. Federal action has been taken in some cases where synagogues were besieged in the past, yet responses have sometimes felt inconsistent — something everyday Americans notice and resent. If our government is serious about protecting civil liberties, enforcement must be swift and equal, regardless of ideology or the intensity of the headlines.
Patriots shouldn’t mistake toughness for cruelty; defending the right to worship freely and safely is a moral duty. We can condemn heavy-handed or abusive tactics by law enforcement while still insisting that mobs do not get a free pass to terrorize congregations or hijack services for political theater. The American experiment depends on mutual respect: protests belong in public squares, not in the pews where families kneel and pray.
Law and order must prevail. It’s time for prosecutors and local leaders to stop treating chaos as civic virtue, enforce the protections Congress wrote to keep houses of worship safe, and make it clear that disrupting a service will cost you in court — and in the court of public opinion. The hardworking men and women who keep our communities running deserve leadership that defends their safety and the sacred spaces where they find solace.
