Millions of Americans are represented by more than two dozen Christian and Jewish organizations that filed a federal lawsuit contesting a Trump administration policy that gives immigration officers more discretion when making arrests at places of worship. According to the lawsuit, this policy violates religious freedom and reduces attendance at worship services by spreading fear of raids.
The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Reverend Sean Rowe, stated that “if some of us are living in fear, we cannot worship freely.” “By joining this lawsuit, we’re seeking the ability to gather and fully practice our faith, to follow Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves.”
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The Justice Department memo opposing a similar lawsuit contended the plaintiffs’ request to block the policy was speculative and insufficient for an injunction. It argued that immigration enforcement at houses of worship had been permitted for decades.
“Any relief in this case should be tailored solely to the named plaintiffs,” said the DOJ memo, contending any injunction should not apply to other religious organizations.
“The massive scale of the suit will be hard for them to ignore,” said Kelsi Corkran, a lawyer with the Georgetown University Law Center’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection who is lead counsel for the lawsuit.
According to the Rev. Carlos Malavé, president of the Latino Christian National Network, “there is deep-seated fear and distrust of our government.” “People avoid going to church because they are afraid of going to the store, and churches are increasingly conducting online services because people are afraid for the safety of their children and families.”
The deportation plan was also criticized by Pope Francis, who said that removing individuals forcibly only because they are undocumented robs them of their intrinsic dignity and “will end badly.”
“Places of worship are for worship and are not sanctuaries for illegal activity or for harboring people engaged in illegal activity,” stated Mat Staver, head of the conservative Christian legal group Liberty Counsel.
Boston College professor Cathleen Kaveny said the Trump administration could be foolish to ignore the long-held belief that buildings of religion serve as safe havens for those in need. “These buildings are different — almost like embassies,” she stated.
