Pam Bondi Vows Justice: Federal Agents Target Church Protesters in Minneapolis

Paul Riverbank, 1/31/2026Minneapolis church protest sparks national movement as ICE actions test civil rights and public outrage.

This was no ordinary congregation. Reverend Kyle Masters—the man behind the pulpit—also happened to be the local ICE office’s interim chief. It wasn’t long before families began making for the exits, slipping out side doors as the chanting grew louder. Parishioners would later say the moment left them on edge—not out of anger, but out of a deeper, more complicated fear.

All of this had roots in wounds still fresh. Barely a week earlier, Renee Nicole Good—mother of three—was shot dead in her own car by an officer with ICE, right here in the city. Video of her final moments traveled fast, passing from one neighbor’s phone to another. Then came a second, heart-wrenching incident: Alex Pretti, a nurse who spent her days caring for military veterans, was shot while he’d been observing an ICE operation. Cellphone cameras caught the chaos yet again. Each clip poured fuel on already simmering outrage.

Federal agents, quick to respond to Sunday’s disruption, swept into action once more. On Friday, four more people—including Don Lemon, a voice well known in the podcast world—were arrested. Lemon insisted he was only covering the protest, not taking part, but authorities disagreed. They accused all eight of conspiracy to deprive civil rights—a law originally written to combat the Klan, now being wielded in a very different era.

The reaction from Washington was swift and sharp. In a video post that ricocheted around the web, Attorney General Pam Bondi offered no gray areas: “Under President Trump’s leadership and this administration, you have the right to worship freely and safely. If you violate that sacred right, we are coming after you.” The words landed like a thunderclap, splitting public opinion sharply. Supporters applauded the hard line. Critics winced at the righteousness on display.

By now, what began as scattered demonstrations had transformed. The city’s cold was no match for the warmth of outrage; thousands—students, activists, neighbors—marched through the icy streets, calling to end the immigration crackdown. Their voices carried past shuttered shops, empty bus stops, all the way onto social feeds from Los Angeles to Atlanta. Some signs were almost poetic: “No work. No school. No shopping. Stop funding ICE.” As word spread, high school students in Georgia announced they would walk out of class—a signal that youth, not just seasoned activists, would be holding the megaphone.

Brianna Jackson, who organizes at the University of Minnesota, caught a mood that’s easy to miss among the headlines. She told me, “We want this to be more of a sustained movement… more striking, more protesting.” That sentiment carried well beyond Minneapolis. In D.C., a coalition of faith leaders made their stand inside the Hart Senate Building—fifty-four of them arrested as they held up hand-lettered signs: “Do Justice, Love kindness, Abolish ICE.”

The federal government, aware of the optics, began a subtle recalibration. Tom Homan, spearheading ICE operations here, told media that agents would now avoid broad sweeps, instead favoring targeted actions. Internal guidance circulated quietly as well: officers, it read, were to steer clear of “agitators” unless engagement became absolutely necessary. The goal? Diffuse outrage, not add to the pile.

But as the week wore on, any sense of normalcy felt brittle. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll put Trump’s immigration approval ratings at lows not seen since he retook office. Most Americans, it seems, believe the enforcement measures have tipped into excess.

On Thursday, at a shoebox-sized memorial for Alex Pretti, someone left a bouquet—white lilies dusted with ice crystals. A woman nearby wiped her cheeks and muttered, “I’m absolutely not spending any money tomorrow. It’s my little way of being a voice for those who don’t have them, like Alex.” That simple pledge echoed quietly as plans for walkouts, strikes, and marches spread into the weekend.

Whether this unrest will lead to lasting change, no one can say. But as agents tighten their protocols and protesters brace for the next step, one thing is certain: the battle over justice, safety, and civil rights is far from settled on these frozen streets.

You could almost feel the tension humming through Minneapolis this January—the kind that hangs over a city when tragedy strikes and justice feels uncertain. On a brittle Sunday morning, just hours after snow dusted the sidewalks outside Cities Church in St. Paul, something unprecedented broke the surface calm. Thirty, maybe forty protesters slipped in among the pews. They carried banners, voices echoing “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” their calls mingling uneasily with the churchgoers’ hushed conversations.This was no ordinary congregation. Reverend Kyle Masters—the man behind the pulpit—also happened to be the local ICE office’s interim chief. It wasn’t long before families began making for the exits, slipping out side doors as the chanting grew louder. Parishioners would later say the moment left them on edge—not out of anger, but out of a deeper, more complicated fear.All of this had roots in wounds still fresh. Barely a week earlier, Renee Nicole Good—mother of three—was shot dead in her own car by an officer with ICE, right here in the city. Video of her final moments traveled fast, passing from one neighbor’s phone to another. Then came a second, heart-wrenching incident: Alex Pretti, a nurse who spent her days caring for military veterans, was shot while he’d been observing an ICE operation. Cellphone cameras caught the chaos yet again. Each clip poured fuel on already simmering outrage.Federal agents, quick to respond to Sunday’s disruption, swept into action once more. On Friday, four more people—including Don Lemon, a voice well known in the podcast world—were arrested. Lemon insisted he was only covering the protest, not taking part, but authorities disagreed. They accused all eight of conspiracy to deprive civil rights—a law originally written to combat the Klan, now being wielded in a very different era.The reaction from Washington was swift and sharp. In a video post that ricocheted around the web, Attorney General Pam Bondi offered no gray areas: “Under President Trump’s leadership and this administration, you have the right to worship freely and safely. If you violate that sacred right, we are coming after you.” The words landed like a thunderclap, splitting public opinion sharply. Supporters applauded the hard line. Critics winced at the righteousness on display.By now, what began as scattered demonstrations had transformed. The city’s cold was no match for the warmth of outrage; thousands—students, activists, neighbors—marched through the icy streets, calling to end the immigration crackdown. Their voices carried past shuttered shops, empty bus stops, all the way onto social feeds from Los Angeles to Atlanta. Some signs were almost poetic: “No work. No school. No shopping. Stop funding ICE.” As word spread, high school students in Georgia announced they would walk out of class—a signal that youth, not just seasoned activists, would be holding the megaphone.Brianna Jackson, who organizes at the University of Minnesota, caught a mood that’s easy to miss among the headlines. She told me, “We want this to be more of a sustained movement… more striking, more protesting.” That sentiment carried well beyond Minneapolis. In D.C., a coalition of faith leaders made their stand inside the Hart Senate Building—fifty-four of them arrested as they held up hand-lettered signs: “Do Justice, Love kindness, Abolish ICE.”The federal government, aware of the optics, began a subtle recalibration. Tom Homan, spearheading ICE operations here, told media that agents would now avoid broad sweeps, instead favoring targeted actions. Internal guidance circulated quietly as well: officers, it read, were to steer clear of “agitators” unless engagement became absolutely necessary. The goal? Diffuse outrage, not add to the pile.But as the week wore on, any sense of normalcy felt brittle. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll put Trump’s immigration approval ratings at lows not seen since he retook office. Most Americans, it seems, believe the enforcement measures have tipped into excess.On Thursday, at a shoebox-sized memorial for Alex Pretti, someone left a bouquet—white lilies dusted with ice crystals. A woman nearby wiped her cheeks and muttered, “I’m absolutely not spending any money tomorrow. It’s my little way of being a voice for those who don’t have them, like Alex.” That simple pledge echoed quietly as plans for walkouts, strikes, and marches spread into the weekend.Whether this unrest will lead to lasting change, no one can say. But as agents tighten their protocols and protesters brace for the next step, one thing is certain: the battle over justice, safety, and civil rights is far from settled on these frozen streets.