A federal judge in New York rejected a legal challenge to the makeup of President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission on Monday. The lawsuit was brought by the Interfaith Alliance, a progressive interfaith organization, along with Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh groups that questioned whether the commission’s composition met legal requirements for balanced viewpoints on advisory boards.
The plaintiffs contended that the commission was dominated by conservative Christians, with only one Orthodox Jewish rabbi included, and that several members had publicly expressed skepticism toward church-state separation and promoted the concept of America as a Judeo-Christian nation. The groups cited concerns that were reinforced when the commission released a draft report suggesting a reevaluation of the traditional understanding of separation of church and state, proposing instead the development of “bridges” between religious and governmental institutions.
Judge John P. Cronan determined that although federal law requires advisory commissions to reflect diverse perspectives, the statute does not mandate a specific method for achieving this balance, and that the president possesses considerable latitude in selecting members. The judge also noted that the commission demonstrates diversity in other respects, including the presence of both clergy and lay members, as well as what he characterized as adherents of at least five different religions, based on the inclusion of the Jewish member and various Christian denominations.
Regarding the plaintiffs’ argument that the commission lacked balance due to members’ views that religious liberty should take priority over civil rights protections for minority groups, Cronan wrote that because the president’s executive order explicitly rejected the notion of religious liberty conflicting with civil rights, the president was not required to appoint commissioners who disagreed with this foundational principle.
The Interfaith Alliance stated that it would continue opposing what it described as Christian nationalism and advancing what it characterizes as genuine religious freedom. The organization has maintained that the commission’s recent draft report failed to adequately address issues such as anti-Muslim violence and supports policies that favor certain religious communities.
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