(RNS) — A group of Christian denominations and organizations filed a lawsuit on Monday (July 28) against Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem over the Trump administration’s decision to rescind a policy discouraging immigration raids at houses of worship, the fourth such suit to be brought on the question of arrests made at so-called “sensitive locations.”
In the past, immigration enforcement actions at churches were discouraged by a 2011 internal government memo that advised against raids at sensitive locations, such as houses of worship, schools and hospitals. But Trump did away with the policy shortly after taking office, which faith groups argue in their suit “is not just harmful and un-American” but also “violates federal law,” citing both freedom of assembly guaranteed under the First Amendment as well as rights outlined by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Administrative Procedure Act.
“For Plaintiffs and their members, the present threat of surveillance, interrogation, or arrest at their houses of worship means, among other things, fewer congregants participating in communal worship; a diminished ability to provide or participate in religious ministries; and interference with their ability to fulfill their religious mandates, including their obligations to welcome all comers to worship and not to put any person in …
