Leftist rioters crossed a line that shocked America.
Their attack on religious freedom sent shockwaves through the country.
And Sheriff Grady Judd had two words that left anti-ICE rioters wishing they never stormed that church.
Florida Sheriff Draws Line in Sand After Minnesota Church Attack
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd watched anti-ICE rioters storm a Minnesota church service and decided he'd seen enough.
On Sunday, January 19, roughly three dozen protesters marched into Cities Church in St. Paul during worship, shouting "ICE out" and "Justice for Renee Good" at families trying to pray.
The mob targeted the church because pastor David Easterwood also serves as acting director of ICE's St. Paul field office.
Sheriff Judd recorded a video inside a house of worship that quickly racked up over 3 million views.
"I'm standing in a house of worship. And I think about last weekend in St. Paul, Minnesota, where people who came to worship were attacked — they were attacked by rioters," Judd stated.
https://twitter.com/PolkCoSheriff/status/2013766435877618046?s=20
The disruption lasted 25 minutes while children watched protesters scream profanities.
"The service was disrupted. They cut at the very fabric of this great United States of America," Judd continued.
Then the Sheriff delivered the message leftists are panicking over.
"I can assure you that had that attack been in this community, every one of those rioters would be in jail today," Judd declared.
Trump Administration Moves Fast on Federal Charges
Attorney General Pam Bondi wasted no time launching a federal investigation.
Civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong — who organized the coordinated attack — was arrested Thursday along with Chauntyll Louisa Allen and William Kelly.
The Trump Justice Department is pursuing charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
That 1994 law prohibits using force, threats, or physical obstruction to interfere with anyone exercising religious freedom at a place of worship.
This marks the first time federal prosecutors have pursued criminal FACE Act charges specifically for disrupting worship services.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced the arrests were just the beginning.
"This heinous act that occurred in Minnesota yesterday is receiving the highest level of attention from @TheJusticeDept," Dhillon posted on X.
https://twitter.com/AAGDhillon/status/2013263800783303161?s=20
Former CNN host Don Lemon filmed the disruption, claiming he was acting as a journalist.
But a federal magistrate judge refused to sign a criminal complaint against Lemon.
CBS News sources said Attorney General Bondi is "enraged" at the magistrate's decision.
Vice President JD Vance traveled to Minneapolis days later and issued a warning.
"Those people are going to be sent to prison so long as we have the power to do so," Vance stated.
The church invasion happened during "Operation Metro Surge" — Trump's massive ICE crackdown in Minnesota that's arrested over 3,000 people.
Two U.S. citizens have been killed during the operation, including Renee Good, whose death sparked the protests.
Minnesota officials are fighting back against federal immigration enforcement.
Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her all received DOJ subpoenas investigating whether they obstructed federal immigration law.
Sheriff Judd didn't mince words about Minnesota's failure to act.
"Enough is enough," Judd declared. "Let's join together for the good of the United States of America, let's worship the way we want to, and let's everyone renounce the horribleness of last Sunday in St. Paul, Minnesota."
https://twitter.com/PolkCoSheriff/status/2013766435877618046?s=20
First Amendment Defense Collapses Under Legal Scrutiny
The protesters' claim they were exercising First Amendment rights is legal nonsense.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression laid out why that defense fails completely.
A worship service held inside a church on private property isn't a public forum.
The First Amendment protects people from government censorship — it doesn't give protesters the right to hijack private religious gatherings.
The moment protesters trespassed and physically obstructed worship, any First Amendment protection vanished.
"Treating the First Amendment as a roaming permission slip for disruption misstates both the law and the logic of free expression," FIRE explained.
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler called the church invasion "without precedent."
"You had leftist protesters who actually invaded an evangelical church at worship, and that is without precedent," Mohler told Fox News Digital.
https://twitter.com/AAGDhillon/status/2015603687335272495?s=20
Mohler warned the disruption was designed to intimidate every church in America.
"Those who invaded that church this past Sunday intended to send a signal, you could be next. And the intimidation tactic here is just absolutely transparent," Mohler stated.
Franklin Graham didn't hold back his disgust.
"I'm not surprised that these protesters had no respect for houses of worship or the people gathered there," Graham said. "They don't respect our laws or those who are trying to protect our nation from an illegal invasion."
Clergy nationwide are now reassessing security after watching families terrorized during Sunday services.
On Friday, around 100 clergy members were arrested during protests at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport calling for an end to Operation Metro Surge.
Over 700 small businesses closed January 23 as part of a general strike protesting ICE operations.
Despite subzero temperatures, The Guardian reported tens of thousands marched through downtown Minneapolis.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison dismissed the FACE Act charges, claiming the statute "was designed to protect people seeking their reproductive rights."
That's a lie federal prosecutors are exposing.
The FACE Act explicitly protects both reproductive health services AND religious freedom at places of worship.
The Biden administration aggressively prosecuted dozens of anti-abortion protesters under the FACE Act — including 75-year-old Paulette Harlow, who received 24 months in prison for blocking a clinic entrance.
https://twitter.com/AAGDhillon/status/2013413954517663822?s=20
Double Standard Ends Under Trump
Sheriff Judd's message resonated with Americans tired of watching the Left attack institutions they disagree with.
Comments on his video showed overwhelming support.
"Grady Judd for sheriff of the world!" one commenter wrote.
"Freedom of religion. It is our right in this United States of America," another noted.
The contrast between Minnesota's weak response and Florida's promise of immediate arrests couldn't be sharper.
Sheriff Judd has built a reputation over six terms for his "tell it how it is" approach.
He's endorsed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who called him one of America's greatest sheriffs.
The church disruption is part of a larger pattern of leftist violence targeting conservative institutions.
Since the Dobbs decision leaked in 2022, over 150 attacks on churches and pro-life pregnancy centers have occurred nationwide.
In March 2024, three protesters interrupted Easter Vigil Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, running to the altar yelling "Free Palestine."
The Biden DOJ prosecuted zero cases under the FACE Act for attacks on churches.
That double standard ended the day Trump took office.
President Trump pardoned over 20 anti-abortion protesters convicted under the FACE Act, arguing Biden weaponized the law against people of faith.
Now Trump's DOJ is using the same statute to protect Christians from the radical Left.
The Minnesota church attack exposed how Democrats prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens' constitutional rights.
Governor Walz, Attorney General Ellison, and Minneapolis Mayor Frey all made public statements supporting the protesters.
Those statements are now part of a federal obstruction investigation that could result in criminal charges.
Sheriff Judd's two words — "jail today" — represent exactly what Americans voted for in November 2024.
No more tolerance for lawless mobs terrorizing families at church.
No more sanctuary cities protecting criminals over citizens.
No more prosecutors refusing to charge violent protesters because they share their politics.
The Left spent years normalizing attacks on institutions they oppose — from Supreme Court Justices' homes to pregnancy centers to churches.
https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2013301100175142936?s=20
They assumed Trump's DOJ would continue Biden's approach of looking the other way when leftists commit crimes.
Sheriff Judd just showed them those days are over.
Every attack on religious freedom will face federal prosecution.
Anyone thinking about disrupting worship services should remember Sheriff Judd's promise: in Polk County, Florida, every one of those rioters would be in jail today.
That's the standard Trump's America is bringing back — equal justice under law, not selective enforcement based on political ideology.
The three arrested church protesters are learning that lesson as they sit in federal custody facing charges.
Minnesota officials who enabled them may soon join them.
Sources:
- Michelle Vecerina, "Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd condemns disrupted church service, urges protection of religious freedom," Florida News, January 23, 2026.
- Dave Urbanski, "'Enough is enough': Fed-up Florida sheriff has tough words for anti-ICE leftists who stormed Minnesota church," The Blaze, January 22, 2026.
- "Anti-ICE protesters disrupted worship in a Minnesota church. Here's why the First Amendment doesn't protect their actions," Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, January 2026.
- "Operation Metro Surge," Wikipedia, accessed January 26, 2026.
- "Anti-ICE protest at Minnesota church leads to 3 arrests but no charges for a journalist," NPR, January 22, 2026.
- "Protests inside churches are unusual despite long history of civil disobedience in the US," ABC News, January 2026.
- "Pastors warn of 'chilling effect' after anti-ICE agitators storm Minnesota church service," Yahoo News, January 21, 2026.
- "DOJ's Novel Use of Religious Statute in Minnesota Draws Scrutiny," Bloomberg Law, January 23, 2026.
