North Carolina churches joined a lawsuit along with more than twenty-four religious entities, against the policy that allows the Immigration and Customs Service (ICE, in English) in “sensitive places”, including places of worship.
The North Carolina Council of Churches, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Charlotte, and the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church are part of the plaintiffs.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has revoked a Biden Administration directive that prevented immigration raids in these locations.
This new policy gives "green light" to allow services or sermons to be disrupted in support of President Donald Trump's mass deportation plan.
“One of the most frequent directives found in the Bible is to care for those who come to us from another place. Various descriptions appear — pilgrim, immigrant, refugee. But the directive is to welcome them, protect them and treat them as family. To not allow them to do that is to deny a basic tenet of our faith,” said the Rev. Jennifer Copeland of the North Carolina Council of Churches.
Bishop Kenneth H. Carter, Jr. of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, meanwhile, stressed the importance of protecting sacred spaces.
“The Church has long been a santuario "for all, a space where the faithful gather to worship, serve, and find community in Christ without fear. Recent policies have put our congregations at risk and could disrupt worship and ministry," Carter said at a press conference.
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Demand details
The Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP) at Georgetown Law School filed the lawsuit on February 15 on behalf of more than twenty-four religious entities, Christian and Jewish organizations.
The lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Washington, D.C. It alleges that allowing ICE into places of worship violates the First Amendment to the Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
“The plaintiffs represent millions of Americans across dozens of denominations rooted in the Jewish and Christian faiths,” said Kelsi Corkran, the plaintiffs’ lead attorney and ICAP Supreme Court Director.
Corkran said churches and associations joined the lawsuit to defend their scriptural obligation to serve the migrant community.
The plaintiffs claim that exposing their places of worship to ICE raids without court order interferes with their religious activities. They further claim that it interferes with their ability to fulfill their religious mandate to serve the migrant community.
National Latin Christian Network
Reverend Carlos L. Malavé, president of the National Latin Christian Network, also spoke out against the immigration policy.
Malavé stated that it seeks to "infringe, restrict, or interfere in any way with the free exercise of religion."
“As faithful followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ, we affirm our divinely appointed responsibility to safeguard and care for all of God’s children,” Malavé added.
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Shameful. Shameful. Thank God Catholics won't do this.