In the following press release it shares on Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s lawsuit against the Trump administration to protect religious freedom and the right to worship without fear in spiritual communities.
In January 2025, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM), our neighbors in New York, New England and Baltimore Yearly Meetings, along with several other faith communities, filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security to challenge an executive order by the Trump administration. The order allowed ICE agents to enter formerly protected spaces, including houses of worship like Quaker meetings. On August 18, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of PYM and the coalition.
A press release from Democracy Forward and statements from PYM leadership concerning the update are shared below.
On August 18, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the U.S. District Court of Maryland order blocking a Trump-Vance administration policy that seeks to give immigration officers free rein to carry out enforcement actions at or near the houses of worship of the plaintiffs while this litigation proceeds.
As a result of the August 18 decision, the district court’s injunction protecting the plaintiffs remains in place. The injunction protects the worship spaces of PYM’s affiliated meetings from unrestrained immigration enforcement. (More information and resources are located on this page.)
The district court previously concluded that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on their claims challenging the administration’s policy and entered a preliminary injunction imposing guardrails on immigration-enforcement actions at or near the plaintiffs’ houses of worship to protect their rights while the case proceeds.
Chris Mohr, PYM’s General Secretary, said:
“As lead plaintiff in PYM vs. DHS, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of Friends (PYM) celebrates today’s ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. We are relieved that our meetinghouses continue to be safe for all community members to gather for worship while the case moves through the legal process. Quakers strongly support religious freedom, following one’s conscience, and acting on one’s convictions. And PYM Quakers have welcomed other religions to our region since before the founding of our country. Thus we look forward to a day when all houses of worship, not just those of PYM, will once again be safe for all their congregants to worship freely together.”
Selden Smith, PYM’s Presiding Clerk, also commented:
“This is an important victory for religious liberty. Our Quaker form of worship, in which all ministry emerges from the congregation, is strengthened by the presence of immigrants and threatened by the prospect of ICE raids. We welcome this ruling, which upholds, for the moment, a longstanding government policy constraing such raids. It is good news not just for Quakers but for everyone who cares about religious freedom in America.“
For more information on the case and PYM, go to https://www.pym.org/dhs-lawsuit/ or contact our Director of Development and Communications, Joe Kirkenir, at jkirkenir@pym.org or 215-241-7115.
