A coalition of over two dozen Christian and Jewish organizations have initiated a lawsuit in federal court, challenging the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies. The plaintiffs, which include the Mennonite Church USA, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and Friends General Conference, have named the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), CBP Acting Commissioner Pete Flores, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and ICE Acting Director Caleb Vitello as defendants.
The 80-page lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, asserts that the plaintiffs, despite their religious differences, share a fundamental belief: every individual, regardless of their place of birth, is a child of God deserving of respect, care, and love. The lawsuit further states that welcoming immigrants is a central tenet of their faith practices.
The crux of the lawsuit is the argument that President Donald Trump’s stringent immigration enforcement policies infringe upon the groups’ religious freedom by interfering with their ability to serve their congregations. The plaintiffs argue that historically, places of worship have been deemed “sensitive locations” by DHS and ICE, and as such, would only be subject to intrusion under specific circumstances. However, the rescission of this practice by the administration has led to a decline in worship attendance due to fear of immigration enforcement actions.
The lawsuit further states that congregations are now faced with a difficult choice: risk exposing vulnerable attendees to arrest or implement security measures that contradict their religious duties of welcome and hospitality. The plaintiffs argue that the DHS’s authorization of immigration enforcement action at places of worship without urgent circumstances or a judicial warrant violates their rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment.
Moreover, the plaintiffs contend that the DHS’s sudden revocation of its sensitive locations policy is illegal. They argue that federal law mandates agencies to provide a reasonable explanation for their rationale before implementing a new policy, a step they claim the DHS did not take.
The lawsuit was filed a day after Pope Francis wrote a letter to U.S. bishops, criticizing the “major crisis” caused by the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportations. The Pope emphasized that deporting individuals who have fled their homeland due to extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution, or environmental degradation, undermines the dignity of many individuals and families, leaving them in a state of vulnerability and defenselessness.