Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-12 · by Giovanna Dell'orto () The Associated Press
Court cases involving Twin Cities churches and immigration enforcement highlight how the acrimonious debate continues to roil faith communities more than six months since the federal surge turned Minnesota into a symbol of defiance of the Trump administration’s policies.
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surge → involve → policies
In one case, a Minneapolis Baptist church — alongside congregations nationwide — asked for the government to be reprimanded after spying on protest-related activity on its property.
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government → ask → property
In another, more than three dozen protesters have asked for their charges to be dismissed after they disrupted a worship service in a St. Paul church where one of the pastors was also a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official.
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one → ask → pastors
Even congregations uninvolved in the court cases say they’re still feeling the repercussions of the weekslong surge in immigration operations last winter.
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they → say → operations
Protesters confronted federal law enforcement daily, and the killing of two protesters sparked global outcry.
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killing → confront → outcry
But its pastor says the signs that went up in January stating “Everyone is welcome here! Except I.C.E.” have stayed.
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Everyone → say → I.C.E.
“I don’t foresee a time when they will come down.
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they → foresee → time
We want our building to remain a sanctuary for many people,” said the Rev. Ingrid Rasmussen.
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Rasmussen → want → people
Her church provided whistles, which protesters across the city used to alert neighbors about law enforcement presence.
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protesters → provide → presence
For decades, congregations have been on the front lines of providing for immigrants and refugees, whether in their faith communities or with outreach ranging from food distribution at the U.S.-Mexico border to advocacy in Washington.
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congregations → provide → Washington
As part of its sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration, President Donald Trump’s current administration gave agents more leeway to make arrests at houses of worship.
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administration → give → worship
In response, dozens of religious groups sued, heralding a more openly adversarial relationship between many faith leaders and federal authorities.
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dozens → sue → leaders
That has continued through surges last fall and winter in various parts of the country, with faith leaders arrested during anti-enforcement protests and suing to make pastoral visits to detained migrants.
“There’s been a pretty dramatic increase in lawsuits filed related to people of faith’s support for migrants,” said Elizabeth Reiner Platt, director of the Law, Rights and Religion Project at Union Theological Seminary.
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Platt → continue → Seminary
Faith groups have achieved several “promising” wins, she said, adding that ongoing litigation shows how unpopular the administration’s aggressive enforcement approach is with many religious people.
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approach → achieve → people
Both Minnesota court cases center on the idea of protecting a sacred space and people’s right to worship — in one case from government intrusion and in the other, from people protesting the immigration crackdown.
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cases → center → crackdown
Government surveillance at Minneapolis church sparks outcry
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surveillance → spark → outcry
In mid-August, court documents emerged in a separate case involving 15 people charged by federal prosecutors with impeding the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.
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documents → emerge → Minneapolis
The documents revealed that federal agents had conducted an undercover surveillance operation, which had targeted groups leading protests earlier this year.
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which → reveal → protests
Among those charged was an organizer in a martial arts group who the government says was training protesters to physically prevent arrests.
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government → charge → arrests
Some of the group’s meetings occurred in the gym of University Baptist Church in Minneapolis, and Homeland Security agents conducted surveillance operations there four times — including once with an undercover agent inside, according to court documents.
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agents → occur → documents
The church is a member of American Baptist Churches USA and the Alliance of Baptists, two of several groups that in February won an injunction against most immigration enforcement at their member churches nationwide.
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that → win → churches
The groups have asked the same federal judge to rule that Homeland Security violated that order, to instruct its agents about it, as well as to disclose if any other houses of worship were part of surveillance operations.
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houses → ask → operations
The government says in court documents that its operation didn’t violate the injunction because it wasn’t about immigration enforcement.
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it → say → enforcement
Rather, they were investigating a suspect for training “individuals to commit acts of violence against federal officers and employees.”
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they → investigate → officers
A hearing was held Sept. 4 and a ruling is pending.
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ruling → hold → ?
A spokesperson with the Department of Homeland Security said it doesn’t comment “on the existence or status of specific ongoing investigations, nor on investigative methods.”
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it → say → methods
University Baptist Church’s interim pastor said the small congregation found the surveillance “very upsetting” — but also motivation to double down on their advocacy.
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surveillance → say → advocacy
“We see the message of Jesus as compelling us to be where people are most vulnerable,” the Rev. Cody J. Sanders said.
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Sanders → see → us
For Kevin Friedl, an attorney with the Democracy Forward Foundation that’s representing the faith groups, the case is ultimately about offering sanctuary.
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case → represent → sanctuary
“For many, religion — being able to join together with others at their church or other house of worship — is an important and critical source of solace and comfort, in hard times, which these are,” he said.
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he → join → times
“This administration wants to deny them that.”
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administration → want → that
Protesters who interrupted Sunday worship seek dismissal of charges
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who → interrupt → charges
The argument that churches are protected spaces and worshippers have rights against intrusion is also buttressing the case over the anti-immigration enforcement protest at Cities Church in Minnesota’s capital in January.
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worshippers → protect → January
More than three dozen people — including former CNN journalist Don Lemon and prominent local activists — are facing federal civil rights charges after entering the Southern Baptist church where one pastor was also a leader in the local ICE field office.
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pastor → include → office
During Sunday worship, some walked up to the pulpit, others loudly chanted “ICE out” and “Renee Good,” referring to the woman who was fatally shot on Jan. 7 by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
In August, a slew of motions to dismiss the cases were filed and will be heard in late October.
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slew → walk → October
Some contend the charges amounted to “selective or vindictive prosecution,” and cite the University Baptist Church surveillance.
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charges → contend → surveillance
They argue that the “administration’s claims that this prosecution is based on a desire to protect the right to practice religion is disproved by the extraordinary freedom it has granted ICE to violate the sanctity of churches,” according to court documents.
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it → argue → documents
“They’re using these cases to try to get information on the whole resistance movement,” said Jordan Kushner, an attorney representing several defendants.
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Kushner → use → defendants
An attorney representing Cities Church countered that the issue at play is “an invasion during worship.”
“Nobody has the right to storm a church,” Doug Wardlow said, adding that the protest — and smaller, outdoors ones that continue to occur during worship times — “traumatically impacted the life of the church.
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that → represent → church
How fallout from the surge impacts Minnesota congregations
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fallout → impact → congregations
…and 6 more, not listed.
