The Church of God in Christ Inc. has been granted a preliminary injunction to stop a gospel musician from continuing to slander the denomination and its senior leaders. U.S. District Judge Mark Norris in Tennessee issued the Feb. 2 order…
Louisiana can require Ten Commandments — for now
Louisiana is free to implement its previously blocked law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms, a federal appeals court ruled Feb. 20. The full U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans overturned a three-member panel of…
Refugee advocates warn Trump is targeting well-vetted people
Refugee and civil rights groups condemned a new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services memo clearing the way for the arrest of thousands of refugees lawfully resettled during the Biden administration. The directive enables Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to detain…
Diversity has benefits, Interfaith America leader says
Pluralism is not merely a lofty ideal but a series of concrete actions to strengthen relationships and bridge divides in contentious times, Interfaith America CEO Adam Nicholas Phillips said. Phillips and other members of his team at the Chicago-based nonprofit…
America’s divide over Christian nationalism is lopsided
The nation is not quite as divided as many Americans have come to believe, said Robert P. Jones, president of Public Religion Research Institute. Jones made the observation during the online release of PRRI’s latest survey on Christian nationalism across…
Whistleblower warns ICE told to enter homes without warrants
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has authorized immigration agents to enter the homes of certain noncitizens and make arrests without the kind of warrant mandated by the Fourth Amendment. A secret Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo authorized agents “to…
Groups sue to block Trump from rewriting history at national parks
A coalition of conservation, history and scientific organizations is suing the Trump administration to stop its ongoing efforts to censor displays and monuments in the federal park system. The National Parks Conservation Association and Union of Concerned Scientists were among…
Trump has lost 4,421 cases about ICE tactics but keeps on going
More than 400 federal judges since October have issued at least 4,421 rulings that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is holding immigrants illegally, according to a new analysis by Reuters. “The decisions amount to a sweeping legal rebuke of Trump’s immigration…
New study proves immigrants help US economy and are not a drain
Immigrants are essential to the U.S. economy because they pay more in taxes than they use in benefits, according to a new study by the Cato Institute. The report undermined President Donald Trump’s claim that the “average illegal alien costs…
4 churches find creative ways to reimagine their properties
Churches are finding new ways to live into historic callings through innovative facilities projects they hope will sustain their ministries and congregations into the future. Second Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn., recently celebrated the opening of a 7,777-square-foot hospitality center…
Detained immigrants must have access to attorneys, court rules
Immigration and Customs Enforcement must grant attorneys access to detainees held in a Minnesota detention facility, a federal court ruled Feb. 12. The ruling responded to a class-action lawsuit filed against the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. The action…
Second court rules sensitive locations out of bounds for raids
A federal court in Massachusetts has blocked a Trump administration policy that allowed immigration enforcement raids in sensitive locations such as churches, schools and hospitals. The ruling came Feb. 13 in New England Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, et…