“All three subjects ran back into the apartment and barricaded themselves inside,” said DHS. “ICE successfully arrested all three illegal aliens.”
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Following the incident, a family driving home from their middle-schooler’s basketball game encountered protestors and ICE officers near the area Sosa-Celis was shot and apprehended. That is when 26-year-old Destiny Jackson noticed her mother on the street near the protest.
Jackson said that she spent nearly 30 minutes trying to get her mother to leave. Describing the protest scene intensifying, Jackson claims that she saw ICE officers started to use flash-bang grenades in an attempt to control the protestors. While leaving at the ICE officer’s request, Jackson said that she stopped her vehicle to allow one of the federal officers to walk by. That is when the officer tossed a tear-gas canister under their vehicle causing the airbags to deploy.
The tear-gas filled the family’s vehicle, causing immediate respiratory problems, including for Jackson’s 6-month-old son who became unresponsive. FOX9 reported that a family member had to perform CPR on the infant in order to revive him.
Jackson, her husband, and three of her six children needed hospital treatment.
Department of Justice Launches Civil Rights Investigation
Following the protest at Cities Church, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi shared she had spoken with Parnell. “I just spoke to the Pastor in Minnesota whose church was targeted,” she said. “Attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law.”
“If state leaders refuse to act responsibly to prevent lawlessness,” Bondi added, “this Department of Justice (DOJ) will remain mobilized to prosecute federal crimes and ensure that the rule of law prevails.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the DOJ has launched an investigation. “President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship,” Leavitt posted on X. “The Department of Justice has launched a full investigation into the despicable incident that took place earlier today at a church in Minnesota.”
NAMB’s Kevin Ezell, SBC President Clint Pressley, and Others Respond to the Protest at Cities Church
SBC’s North American Mission Board (NAMB) President Kevin Ezell posted on X, “This church is pastored by @sendnetwork ‘s city missionary in Minneapolis-St. Paul. For protestors to disrupt a Sunday morning worship service this way is absurd. If elected officials won’t contain lawlessness @NAMB_SBC will provide security.”
Ezell added, “As protesters trespassed inside the church, yelling in the worship service, ex-CNN reporter Don Lemon stuck a mic in pastor Jonathan’s face asking don’t they have a constitutional right to public protest?”
“No, they don’t have a right to enter private property and disrupt worship,” Ezell said.
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SBC President Clint Pressley said, “Disrupting a church’s worship service to make a political point is disgraceful. Targeting a Southern Baptist church in Minneapolis crosses a clear line, and I stand fully with the church and its members who simply came to worship Jesus in peace.” Pressley added, “Southern Baptists, let’s pray for and stand with Cities Church. Public officials should investigate whether civil rights were violated and ensure the freedom to worship is protected.”
“Jonathan displays remarkable composure here in the midst of injustice and distress,” NAMB’s Vice President of Research & Resource Development, Trevin Wax, posted.
“Praying for @jonathanparnell and @citieschurch, as their worship service was disrupted by protesters today,” said Ed Stetzer, dean of the Talbot School of Theology and editor-in-chief of Outreach Magazine. “Parnell is right when he says, ‘This is unacceptable. It’s shameful. It’s shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship.’”
Stetzer continued, “Don Lemon (bizarrely) says, ‘OK, listen, we live in, there’s a Constitution in the First Amendment to freedom of speech and freedom to assemble and protest.’” But, Stezter added, “I’m thankful that pastor Jonathan keeps his composure and explains, ‘We’re here to worship. We’re here to worship Jesus because that’s the hope of these cities. That’s the hope of the world.’”
“Freedom of speech, assemble, and protest does not mean you can disrupt a church service and it’s just bizarre that Lemon or anyone else thinks it,” Stetzer stated.
