With the collaboration of several Yearly and Monthly Meetings, Friends General Conference (FGC) joined an interfaith coalition of congregations and religious associations to file a lawsuit challenging an Executive Order that overturns the “sensitive locations” policy. 

The Executive Order gives ICE broad latitude to raid houses of worship.  The case is called Mennonite Church USA v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Our Mennonite partners, who have a long history of assisting refugees and asylum seekers, were the first to commit to this interfaith litigation.  Our interfaith partnership comprises over twenty congregations and associations with the full list at the end of this article.

This is a critical lawsuit that is estimated to represent more than 2 million congregants. In filing an interfaith lawsuit, it’s our hope we will have broad enough standing to re-secure protected status for all houses of worship across the United States.  It’s also an important initial collaboration during a time that will likely call on our various faith traditions to witness repeatedly for human rights.

Here are some important points and updates:

• In early April, a hearing was held in the District of Columbia where we, the coalition of plaintiffs, requested an injunction that would essentially restore the sensitive locations policy while the litigation proceeded.
• Representatives for most of the plaintiffs were present in the courtroom including the General Secretary of FGC, Barry Crossno, and the Associate Executive Director for Operations of Mennonite Church USA, Iris de León-Hartshorn.
• Our lawyers submitted declarations that shared, in part, reduced attendance and reduced use of services at some congregations is due to the threat of ICE entering houses of worship.
• After several days to consider the injunction request, the judge did not grant the injunction.  Since the government has refrained from ICE raids in houses of worship since this lawsuit and an earlier lawsuit led by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Baltimore Yearly Meeting, and New England Yearly Meeting were filed, the judge held that there is not an imminent risk that justifies an injunction.  Further, the judge did not see enough evidence that real harm has been occurring to our worshipping communities.
• While an injunction was not granted, the litigation is still moving forward.  The injunction request was simply the first in a series of actions that will occur over the coming months.
• On Monday, May 12^th our lawyers filed a Joint Status Report, where they shared with the Court that we plan to file a renewed preliminary injunction motion with additional evidence that has been collected from some of the plaintiffs.
• The court responded that a renewed motion needs to be filed by June 2nd.  The government will respond on June 25th.

While this litigation will take time and the outcome is uncertain, it’s important to remain centered in the knowledge that we, however imperfectly, are asked to witness to the seed of the Divine in all people. 

Many of your monthly meetings are taking important actions on their own and in collaboration with Yearly Meetings, FGC and interfaith partners in a variety of ways.  If we speak and witness, whatever the outcome, a vision for a better future will continue to live within us collectively.  Being faithful has purpose.

List of Participating Plaintiffs

• Mennonite Church USA
• The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (NC)
• The Central Conference of American Rabbis
• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (IN)
• Church of the Brethren, Inc.
• Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas
• The Episcopal Church
• Fellowship Southwest (TX)
• Friends General Conference
• General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
• General Commission on Religion and Race of the United Methodist Church
• Latino Christian National Network, Massachusetts Council of Churches
• The New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
• New York State Council of Churches
• North Carolina Council of Churches
• The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church
• The Rabbinical Assembly
• Reconstructing Judaism
• Rhode Island State Council of Churches
• Union for Reform Judaism
• Unitarian Universalist Association
• The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
• The Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church
• Wisconsin Council of Churches
• WISDOM, Inc. (WI)

See also:

• Friends General Conference Joins over Two Dozen Religious Groups in New Immigration Lawsuit
• Sensitive Locations Petition
• Updates from the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection