IMPORTANT Good News: Faith Pushback
A new legal filing you need to know about
Dear Cottage friends,
Today is a big day for Christians and Jews who aren’t along for the Christian nationalist agenda. Push back has begun in an important way.
This morning, more than two dozen faith groups — including most mainline denominations, the Brethren and the Mennonites, the Unitarians, and Reform Jews — filed a lawsuit against the administration for violation of their religious freedom regarding their practices of serving immigrants and immigrant communities.
When you make both the Episcopalians and the Mennonites mad enough to bring a suit against you, well, that’s huge.
I urge you to READ the filing HERE. It isn’t just legalese. There are parts that read like a sermon! You can quote this in your sermons, excerpt it in your church newsletters, share about it on social media. GET THE WORD OUT. Christians need to be aware. INFORM, PRAY, SUPPORT. ENCOURAGE.
Remember: Do not obey in advance. Use your freedoms to their fullest extent. Don’t give up before we’ve pushed back. We do not have to surrender. We have rights.
We can do this.
Love relentlessly,
Diana
Something you can do:
If you are a member of one of the supporting bodies, LET THEM KNOW YOUR SUPPORT. Tell them you are praying for success. Thank them for their courage. This is BRAVE of them.
FROM the info in the press release:
The Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP) at Georgetown Law filed a lawsuit on behalf of over two dozen Christian and Jewish religious denominations and associations in response to the Trump Administration’s rescission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “sensitive locations” policy that had restricted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from conducting immigration raids, arrests, and other enforcement actions at houses of worship.
The new policy thus greenlights enforcement actions that could interrupt religious services in furtherance of the Administration’s mass deportation plans.
There’s a ZOOM Press conference scheduled for this afternoon for anyone interested. You can register via this link:
A Press Call has been announced for today, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at 1 p.m. (Eastern time) by the group of denominations and associations.
RSVP for additional details at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fifVrUqRTaGB4OmPb4D3mw#/registration. The virtual online press conference will feature the following religious leaders:
Rev. Iris de León-Hartshorn, Mennonite Church USA
Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, The Episcopal Church
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, Union for Reform Judaism
Rev. Carlos Malave, President, Latino Christian National Network
Kelsi Corkran, ICAP Supreme Court Director and lead counsel for Plaintiffs
The mission of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection is to use strategic legal advocacy to defend constitutional rights and values while working to restore confidence in the integrity of governmental institutions. Connect with ICAP at www.law.georgetown.edu/icap/, reachICAP@georgetown.edu or @icapgeorgetown.bsky.social.
PLEASE SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CASE WIDELY — with your congregations, colleagues, and communities.
Attacking congregations on the issue of immigration is just the beginning. It will not stop there unless we make it perfectly clear that we will stand up for religious freedom to serve the poor, reach the outcast and oppressed, and preach the Kingdom of God in the love of Christ as we see fit.
So proud of the Episcopal Church and Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe.
Glad to hear of this legal action. We should also credit the Quakers for filing an essentially identical lawsuit on January 27 (New England, Philadelphia, and Baltimore Yearly Meetings of the Religious Society of Friends). https://www.pym.org/key-points-on-the-quaker-suit-against-the-department-of-homeland-security/