What records or public documents could definitively confirm whether the Cities Church pastor and the ICE field office director are the same person?
Executive summary
Two different public threads converge in reporting: Cities Church’s website lists a David Easterwood as a pastor, and DHS/ICE filings and press appearances identify a David Easterwood as the acting St. Paul ICE field office director [1] [2] [3]. Multiple outlets emphasize that, despite the name match and overlapping biographical signals, reporters have not independently produced a single public document that definitively proves the pastor and the ICE official are the same individual [4] [5] [6].
1. What the reporting actually establishes and what it does not
Local and national outlets note the same name appears in two places: on Cities Church’s staff listing and in federal court filings and DHS press materials naming an ICE acting field director [1] [3] [2]. News organizations including PBS, ABC/ABC News wire reporting, Fortune and others describe the apparent match and cite a lack of independent, airtight confirmation tying the church biography to the federal personnel file—Fox9 and Hindustan Times explicitly state they were unable to confirm both references are the same person [1] [2] [6] [5].
2. The kinds of public records that would be definitive
A definitive documentary match would require a public record that includes unique, personally identifying information shared by both listings—examples include a government personnel record or court filing that shows the ICE official’s full name alongside a verifiable non-governmental affiliation (such as a church role), or a church’s official staff biography that includes a government title or employment history explicitly naming ICE and the St. Paul field office. Either document, standing alone, would directly link employer/role and congregation affiliation in a way that resolves the current name-match ambiguity (reporting shows the present gap: church listing vs. federal files without a cross-reference) [1] [3] [2].
3. Specific documents to request or inspect
Practically, the records most likely to produce conclusive evidence are: (a) ICE or DHS personnel rosters, organizational charts or sworn declarations in court filings that include biographical details tying that person to outside employment; (b) court filings in which the acting field director is a named party accompanied by an affidavit or signature block that lists a personal or professional affiliation; (c) the church’s internal staff records, employment agreement, or an official staff bio page that lists government service; and (d) tax filings or nonprofit forms (Form 990) that identify key staff or officers and could corroborate names and roles. Reporting already documents court filings that name Easterwood as acting director and the church website listing a David Easterwood as pastor—what’s missing is a single record that bridges the two [3] [1] [7].
4. How to obtain those records and what to expect from them
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to DHS/ICE for non-sensitive personnel records or organizational charts, targeted court docket searches for filings that include identifying signature blocks, and direct inquiries to Cities Church for staff confirmation or public biographies are the standard routes journalists and researchers use to seek a decisive link; news outlets reporting on this episode noted they attempted verification but had not yet obtained a bridging document [6] [4] [5]. Expect redactions for security or privacy-sensitive information in government releases, and expect the church to decline comment or to provide a limited staff bio rather than employment contracts [6] [4].
5. Photographic and corroborating evidence: useful but not definitive
Public photos and press appearances—such as the reported photo/appearance of an ICE official named David Easterwood with DHS leadership—help corroborate identity but are not, on their own, legally definitive proof of a dual role without accompanying documentary identifiers [2]. Multiple outlets have pointed to visual similarities and social-media circulation of images, yet underscore the need for documentary linkage rather than inference from photos or facial recognition alone [8] [4].
6. Caveats, alternative explanations and the burden of proof
Name-matching alone explains why protesters and some reporting linked the two listings, but reputable outlets caution that identical names can belong to different people and stress the absence of independent confirmation in major reports [5] [4]. Given the DOJ’s decision to investigate the protest incident, legal and privacy considerations may further complicate rapid disclosure of the personnel-details activists seek [1].
7. Bottom line and recommended next steps for definitive confirmation
To settle the question definitively, obtain a government document (personnel roster, court filing with unredacted identifying info, or official DHS statement) or a church document (signed staff roster or public bio) that explicitly lists both the ICE post and the Cities Church role for the same named individual; reporters and researchers should pursue FOIA to DHS/ICE, targeted court-docket follow-up for filings that included the acting director’s name, and a direct records request to Cities Church—until such a bridging document is published, the name match reported across outlets remains suggestive but not conclusive [3] [1] [6] [4].