Ron Vitiello, a senior adviser to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said a federal investigation is underway to determine who is organizing and funding recent anti-immigration enforcement protests in Minnesota, including the disruption of a Sunday worship service at a Christian church in St. Paul.
Appearing Monday morning on Newsmax's "Wake Up America," Vitiello said investigators are focused on identifying the people and money behind what he described as increasingly aggressive activism aimed at blocking immigration enforcement operations.
"That's what the investigation will be all about," Vitiello said. "We really need to understand who funds this bad behavior. Who are the people that are advocating for getting in the way of law enforcement operations?"
Vitiello said recent protests have gone far beyond lawful dissent, citing actions such as blocking officers with vehicles, putting hands on agents, and attempting to break into an ICE facility in Minneapolis. Understanding who is behind those efforts is critical to restoring order, he said.
"We need to find out who's funding that," he said. "And this investigation could help get to the root of who organized this mob, why they decided to do what they do, and who's paying for all of it."
He then raised the example of the disruption of a church service in St. Paul over the weekend, which he said showed how far activists are willing to go to make their point, calling the incident "reprehensible."
"It's the worst kind of activism we've seen in a really long time," Vitiello said. "Now, we know that these people don't want ICE, and they don't want the operations that are being conducted by the front line at CBP and ICE in the city."
"You have the political leadership who have denounced it, and now, they're disrupting people's Sunday in the pews at church," he added. "There is no excuse for it."
Vitiello also reacted to a judge's ruling barring federal immigration agents from using tools such as pepper spray and tear gas to disperse protesters. While he said agents will comply with the order, he criticized the decision as another form of activism from the bench.
"They're going to comply with whatever the judge's orders are, but this is just another form of activism," Vitiello said. "Imagine a judge that knows nothing about law enforcement — can run a courtroom, can run trials, etc. — but they have no idea what equipment officers should use to protect themselves, to keep from getting assaulted, to allow them to do their job."
"So, it's ridiculous," he added.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.