Reversal of the Department of Homeland Security’s “Sensitive Locations” Policy Interferes with Central Religious Beliefs, Violates both the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act
Federal Courthouse in Washington DC. Photo credit- CC, wiki/User:APK
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP) at Georgetown Law filed a lawsuit on behalf of over two dozen Christian and Jewish religious denominations and associations in response to the Trump Administration’s rescission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “sensitive locations” policy that had restricted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from conducting immigration raids, arrests, and other enforcement actions at houses of worship. The new policy thus greenlights enforcement actions that could interrupt religious services in furtherance of the Administration’s mass deportation plans. The case, Mennonite Church USA et al. v. United States Department of Homeland Security et al., was filed in federal district court in Washington, DC.
“Plaintiffs represent millions of Americans across dozens of denominations rooted in the Jewish and Christian faiths,” said Kelsi Corkran, lead counsel for Plaintiffs and ICAP Supreme Court Director. “They have come together to file this suit because their scripture, teaching, and traditions offer irrefutable unanimity on their religious obligation to embrace and serve the refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants in their midst without regard to documentation or legal status. The Department of Homeland Security’s abrupt decision to rescind the sensitive locations policy and subject places of worship to immigration enforcement action is a clear violation of Plaintiffs’ rights under the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. We look forward to presenting our case in court.”
By subjecting their places of worship to ICE enforcement actions without judicial warrant or exigent circumstances, the plaintiffs assert that the government is interfering with their religious activities and their ability to fulfill their religious mandate to welcome and serve immigrants.
To learn more, read the complaint here and see below for testimonials from each plaintiff.
“The extreme actions of our government call us to step up as we recognize that our practice of loving our neighbor outweighs our traditional stance of non-resistance. Today, we stand together as followers of Jesus, shaped by his life and teachings as revealed in scripture, honoring the cloud of witnesses that stood before us against state interference in the right of religious freedom during the Radical Reformation.” said, Rev. Iris de León-Hartshorn, associate executive director of Operations for Mennonite Church USA.
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The mission of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection is to use strategic legal advocacy to defend constitutional rights and values while working to restore confidence in the integrity of governmental institutions. Connect with ICAP at www.law.georgetown.edu/icap/, reachICAP@georgetown.edu, or @icapgeorgetown.bsky.social
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In the meantime, you can sign the Sensitive Locations Petition.