The Justice Department is vowing to bring charges against protesters who interrupted a Sunday church service in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

The website of St. Paul-based Cities Church lists David Easterwood as a pastor, and his personal information appears to match that of the David Easterwood identified in court filings as the acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement St. Paul field office.  
 
Video inside the church shows when anti-ICE protesters interrupted the service. Black Lives Matter Twin Cities founder Chauntyll Allen was there.     
 
“We went to the church and we knew that we were going to disrupt the service. We knew that we were going to disrupt and ask some questions. We didn’t know that it was going to turn into a full-on protest,” Allen said.
 
She says members of Black Lives Matter Minnesota and Racial Justice Network were also there to tell the congregation that Easterwood works with ICE.
 
The last sermon WCCO found of him on YouTube was last April. And our cameras captured David Easterwood at a press conference alongside Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in October. 
 
“My name is David Easterwood. I’m the acting field office director for enforcement and removal operations, ERO St. Paul,” Easterwood said.

“In general, the basic rule is you probably shouldn’t be interfering with other people’s church services,” David Schultz, political science and First Amendment expert, said.

Schultz says charges could depend on intent.

“If you do trespass against a church, try to break up a church service, and you do so with a certain type of, let’s say, intent, or certain type of goals, it could rise to either a criminal or a civil matter in terms of a violation of civil rights law,” Schultz said.

Allen stands by their actions. 

“Interrupting a church service to inform the community of individuals that are terrorizing our community, that are standing in their pulpit, that’s what we should be doing as citizens,” Allen said.

WCCO asked if Allen is worried about civil or criminal charges.

“I’m concerned that our citizens, on a hole, are in danger right now and I’m willing to put anything on the line for our democracy,” Allen said.

Schultz said people could face a fine from a civil rights investigation. Criminal charges could carry jail time. 

St. Paul police responded to the scene on Sunday. By that time, police said protesters were out of the church. 

Police told WCCO the incident is part of an active disorderly conduct investigation.