Four States Criminalize Worship Disruption After Minnesota Church Protest

At least four U.S. states—Idaho, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Kansas—have adopted laws in 2026 that criminalize the disruption of religious worship services, imposing penalties that exceed standard trespassing charges. Some of the new statutes carry up to one year in prison and $10,000 in fines for first offenses. The legislative wave was largely prompted by a February protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where 39 people were charged after demonstrating against a pastor who also served as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official. The U.S. Department of Justice charged those individuals with conspiracy against religious freedom.

Republican sponsors of the new laws argue they protect sacred spaces from harassment and violence. Idaho Senator Mark Harris, who co-sponsored his state's legislation, said people should be able to worship without worrying about harassment. Louisiana Representative Gabe Firment, who introduced his state's bill allowing protestors to be forcibly removed, emphasized that protesters have no right to disrupt private church property. Oklahoma Senator Todd Gollihare authored a law barring the blocking of highways within one mile of a service and distributing flyers within 100 feet of a worship site.

Critics and civil liberties groups warn the laws infringe on First Amendment free speech rights. Louisiana Representative Edmond Jordan cautioned that the statutes could be applied arbitrarily, even against congregants whose behavior might be deemed disruptive. A similar ordinance in Nassau County, New York, is currently facing a legal challenge from the New York Civil Liberties Union, and comparable measures have been introduced in Congress and at least seven other states.