A religious advocacy organization, its director, 3 priests, and a sister filed suit this week against immigration officials alleging that their free exercise rights were infringed by ICE agents who barred them from entering an Illinois ICE detention center to pray and give holy Communion to detainees. The complaint (full text) in Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership v. Noem, (ND IL, filed 11/19/2025), alleges in part:
60. The intimidation of the religious persons, Catholic, Protestant, and of other faith traditions, has denied them their religious right to practice their faith. Until the intimidation began, Catholic clergy had been “allowed” to pray and administer Holy Communion to detainees. The refusal of ICE officials to allow clergy and laypersons to bring the Most Blessed Sacrament to fellow Catholics housed in the facility is an arbitrary decision by ICE. Heretofore, ICE has allowed religious services, including the distribution of Holy Communion. A non-specific reference to safety and security is not sufficient to deny the rights of Catholic clergy and laypersons, or persons of any other denomination or religion, to practice their faith, especially as others have been allowed to do so at the ICE facility in Broadview since it became an immigration-related facility in 2006....
66. Defendants’ policies and practices have unreasonably burdened the Plaintiffs’ free exercise of religion in violation of the First Amendment and the broad protections under the RFRA, without any showing that those policies and practices advance a compelling government interest, or that if such a compelling interest even exists, it would be the least restrictive means available for doing so....
81. Defendants’ policies and practices have burdened the Detainee’s free exercise of religion under the First Amendment and in violation of the RLUIPA....
The Coalition issued a press release announcing the filing of the lawsuit.
