Anti-ICE Storm: Mob of Protesters Barge into Minnesota Church in Lawless, Demonic Display Without Consequence
A recent episode of Crossroads highlights a troubling convergence of trends that are no longer isolated incidents, but symptoms of a broader breakdown in constitutional norms. Senior Investigative Reporter for the Epoch Times, Joshua Philipp examines how the storming of a church by anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota — now under DOJ investigation — fits into a growing pattern of selective enforcement, institutional intimidation, and ideological double standards.
Watch the Trailer for Philipp’s new documentary, Truth Under Fire: The Framing of Charlie Kirk
The incident itself has sparked national outrage: protesters disrupted worship, harassed congregants, blocked exits, and frightened families — behavior that would have been universally condemned had the targets been a mosque or synagogue. As Philipp notes, the Department of Justice’s swift response underscores the seriousness of the violation, especially given long-standing federal protection for religious freedom and assembly. Yet the episode raises an unavoidable question: why have similar or lesser actions been aggressively prosecuted in some political contexts — and excused or defended in others.
Philipp places this controversy alongside two parallel developments: California’s proposed “billionaire tax” and the accelerating flight of wealth and capital from the state, and the expanding practice of debanking — including President Trump’s claim that JPMorgan Chase moved to cut him off financially after January 6. Viewed together, these stories point to a deeper issue: the use of institutional power — legal, financial, and regulatory — to pressure or punish disfavored groups.
What makes Philipp’s analysis compelling is his refusal to treat these stories as disconnected culture-war flashpoints. Instead, he traces how constitutional rights can be chilled not only through prosecutions, but through intimidation, economic coercion, and uneven application of the law. When churches can be disrupted with impunity, when financial access becomes contingent on political acceptability, and when enforcement appears selective, the implications extend far beyond any single protest or lawsuit.
Philipp also raises a critical civil liberties question: if blocking access to abortion clinics constitutes a federal crime under the FACE Act, what legal standards apply when worshippers are blocked, harassed, or prevented from leaving a church? And if those standards are not applied evenly, what precedent does that set?
Joshua Philipp brings clarity to an increasingly chaotic landscape by connecting civil rights, religious freedom, financial power, and government enforcement into one coherent framework. At a moment when trust in institutions is eroding, Crossroads offers audiences a grounded, fact-driven examination of how quickly constitutional protections can weaken — and why consistency under the law matters more than ideology.
Relevant Article(s)
Anti-ICE agitators storm St. Paul church during Sunday worship service | Fox News
The latest on ICE in Minnesota | MPR News
OPTIONAL Q&A:
- How does the Minnesota church incident signal a broader breakdown in respect for religious freedom and assembly?
- Why do similar acts of protest receive vastly different legal treatment depending on political ideology?
- What civil rights or religious discrimination charges could realistically emerge from this case?
- How does selective enforcement undermine public trust in the Justice Department and the rule of law?
- Why is the comparison to prosecutions under the FACE Act legally and constitutionally significant?
- How do debanking practices expand the use of institutional power beyond traditional law enforcement?
- What connects the church disruption, billionaire flight from California, and financial targeting of political figures?
- Are we witnessing the rise of informal punishment systems that bypass due process altogether?
ABOUT JOSHUA PHILIPP…
Joshua Philipp is an award-winning journalist and Senior Investigative Reporter at The Epoch Times. He is the host of ‘Crossroads,’ a news and analysis program on EpochTV. His works have included breakthrough investigations into the origins of Covid-19 and the Wuhan laboratory in the early days of the pandemic. He spearheaded the first documentary on the lab leak origins of the COVID-19 virus, released in April 2020. This groundbreaking documentary garnered over 75 million views, and while many tried to label it misinformation, its findings have since been vindicated by the White House and US intelligence agencies.
EXPERT ANALYSIS FROM JOSHUA PHILIPP
Joshua Philipp, senior investigative reporter at The Epoch Times and a recognized China expert, has mapped out these networks during his 15-plus years of research into the CCP. He provides a deeper context on the CCP’s attempts to subvert the systems and institutions in the United States. As the Chinese regime states, they aim to “strangle you with your own systems,” and that tactic is playing out across key industries and institutions in the US.
Josh is also a leading expert on Chinese unconventional warfare and United Front operations, which he has investigated and exposed since 2008. His 15-plus years of research and investigations on the Chinese Communist Party, subversion, human rights abuses and related topics give him unique insight into the global threat and political landscape.
DOCUMENTARIES/SERIES
• Tracking Down the Origin of the Wuhan Coronavirus
• The Final War: The 100-Year Plot to Defeat America
NOTABLE APPEARANCES
• The National Press Club
• Harvard University
• CPAC
• Turning Point USA
• Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News
• Steve Bannon’s War Room
• The U.S. Air Academy
CONTACT: Todd Baumann at 512-966-0983 or by email Jerry McGlothlin at bookings@specialguests.com.
