In January 2025, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ended a long-standing policy that kept immigration enforcement agents away from churches, mosques, synagogues, and other houses of worship. Faith communities across the country (including many Quakers) believe this change puts their members at risk and violates their freedom of religion.

Quakers and their allies are now part of three different lawsuits. Each one has a special role to play.

• The Quaker-Only Lawsuit: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, et al., vs Department of Homeland Security, et al. (This lawsuit includes Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, New England Yearly Meeting, Baltimore Yearly Meeting, Adelphi (MD) Friends Meeting, and Richmond (VA) Friends Meeting)
• The National Interfaith Lawsuit: Mennonite Church USA, et al., v. Department of Homeland Security, et al. (This lawsuit includes Friends General Conference)
• The Regional Interfaith Lawsuit: New England Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, et al., v. Department of Homeland Security, et al. (This lawsuit includes San Francisco Friends Meeting, Pacific Yearly Meeting, and North Pacific Yearly Meeting)

The Quaker-Only Lawsuit

The first of the three lawsuits to be filed came from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, New England Yearly Meeting, Baltimore Yearly Meeting, Adelphi (MD) Friends Meeting, and Richmond (VA) Friends Meeting. This case focuses only on Quakers. It explains how Quaker worship works (namely sitting together in silence and sharing messages from God) and why immigration agents showing up at worship would stop people from coming. This suit matters because it gives Quakers a clear, strong voice in court about how our faith is directly harmed. This case was filed in Maryland.

The National Interfaith Lawsuit

The second suit was filed by a large group of national faith organizations, including Friends General Conference (FGC), Mennonite Church USA, the Episcopal Church, AME Zion, the Unitarian Universalist Association, and more. This case shows that many faiths—not just Quakers—are united in believing that sacred spaces should be free from raids. This case is important because it shows that the issue is broad and affects millions of people across the United States. This case was filed in the District of Columbia.

The Regional Interfaith Lawsuit

San Francisco Friends Meeting, Pacific Yearly Meeting, North Pacific Yearly Meeting, and several Lutheran, Baptist, and other Christian groups filed this lawsuit over the summer, making it the third Quaker-involved lawsuit. This case highlights what has been happening in certain regions, like agents waiting outside churches in California and Oregon. It shows the real-life impact of DHS’s policy and gives local congregations a chance to defend themselves. This case was filed in Massachusetts.

Why three different cases?

Filing in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Massachusetts increases the chances of winning protection in more than one place.  The scope of each case (Quaker, interfaith, national, regional) helps show the concern from many angles.  The three cases together show a strong message that people of faith across the country and of many traditions stand together to protect the sanctity of the worship spaces. Multiple lawsuits tell a similar story in many ways.  Together, they make the strongest case possible for the protection of worship without fear.