Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivered a sharp rebuke of anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement agitators who stormed a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, using the incident to criticize the Democratic Party. As reported by Fox News, Gabbard called the behavior “demoniac” and said it should be condemned by everyone.
The disruption unfolded Sunday at Cities Church in St. Paul, where protesters entered during a service and shouted at congregants. Videos shared online show demonstrators chanting “Justice for Renee Good” and “Who needs justice, we need justice” inside the church as the service was underway.
The protest followed the January 7 ICE-involved shooting of Renee Nicole Good. While the demonstration was rooted in that incident, the decision to confront worshippers inside a church prompted swift condemnation from Christian leaders and political figures.
I see this as Gabbard defending ICE rather than addressing the harm
Gabbard said the episode reflected why she left the Democratic Party in October 2022. In a post on X, she wrote that one of her main reasons for leaving was what she described as the party’s “hostility towards God and those who have faith in or are trying to cultivate their love for God.” She added that the agitators who sought to “intimidate and terrorize innocent women, children, and men” inside the Minneapolis-area church were another example of that hostility and said those involved should be held accountable.
What I find striking is that when I listen to Tulsi Gabbard defend ICE in this moment, she’s aligning herself with the very federal agency whose enforcement actions, including the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, sparked the unrest in the first place. In the days after Good was killed by an ICE agent during a federal immigration operation, protests have spread, and criticism of ICE’s tactics has only intensified, with some local leaders calling the surge of federal agents overly aggressive and dangerous.
Rather than acknowledging broader concerns about ICE’s conduct and the public backlash over its use of force, I keep hearing Gabbard focus on condemning the protestors and turning their anger into an ideological attack on her former party’s values. That reluctance to grapple with the underlying outrage over federal immigration enforcement, even as local leaders and civil rights advocates decry ICE’s actions underscores why many see her response as defensive of the very policies at issue.
When announcing her departure from the party, Gabbard had previously labeled Democratic leaders an “elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness.” The same week included a school funding threat ruling that also drew national attention.
Federal officials also responded forcefully. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department has launched an investigation into the demonstration and pledged accountability. In an interview, Bondi stated that “attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law,” adding that state officials have already been subpoenaed.
Bondi warned that if state leaders fail to act, the Justice Department would pursue federal charges to uphold the rule of law. Her warning came amid a ski lift TikTok plea circulating online. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon and her team are examining whether the protesters violated the FACE Act, which includes protections for individuals exercising religious freedom at places of worship.
The White House also addressed the incident. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump “will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship.” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson criticized local officials, accusing Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz of enabling the unrest, and said the administration would continue enforcing federal law regardless of local actions.
Published: Jan 21, 2026 04:45 pm