The Trump administration broke U.S. law with a policy denying visas to people based on nationality, a federal court has ruled. U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in New York held Aug. 21 that the 75-nation ban exceeded U.S. Secretary of…
Strong support among U.S. adults for state-sanctioned religious displays
Half of U.S. adults favor displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools while slightly less, at 48%, oppose the practice, according to a new study by Pew Research Center. The April survey of 3,592 respondents also found 78% favor student-led…
Coalition celebrates victory for the homeless against Trump
A coalition of nonprofits and local governments is celebrating a legal victory that blocks the Trump administration’s latest effort to disrupt funding that helps people escape homelessness. The National Alliance to End Homelessness, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the…
American Baptists bringing water to Puerto Rico
American Baptist Churches USA has joined other major faith groups in the effort to provide humanitarian aid to hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans struggling with life-threatening water shortages. Gov. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon declared a state of emergency last month and…
Buffer zone bills debated as protecting freedom to worship
Jewish groups are rallying around federal legislation that would establish 100-foot buffer zones around houses of worship to prevent demonstrators from interrupting services. “No one should have to push through a hostile crowd or shout over a bullhorn in an…
Trump admin gives $1.4 billion to faith groups for international aid
The U.S. State Department has announced a partnership with faith-based organizations to distribute nearly $2 billion in international humanitarian aid. The move follows the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the cutting of at least $26 billion…
Federal court urged to uphold ban on religious charter schools in Oklahoma
Seven mostly Jewish Oklahoma taxpayers urged a federal court to uphold the state’s February denial of an application to open a publicly funded Jewish charter school. Attorneys for the citizens argued during an Aug. 5 federal court hearing in Oklahoma…
Americans view people of Israel and Palestine more favorably than their governments
Americans view the Israeli government more negatively than they do the people of Israel and Palestine, Pew Research Center reports. “Majorities of Americans express an unfavorable view of the Israeli government, the Palestinian Authority (which controls the West Bank) and…
Court demands DHS release migrant witness to Houston murder
A federal court has ordered the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to release a key witness in the killing of a Mexican national by an immigration agent in Houston. Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego was one of three men riding to…
Once again, members of Congress describe Dilley Dentention Center as hell hole
Members of Congress who toured the Dilley Immigration Processing Center July 28 were left stunned and outraged by the physical and psychological torture they say migrant families endure there every day. The San Antonio-area facility houses families with a special…
Coalition campaign seeks to ‘Melt ICE’
A coalition of immigrant advocacy groups and federal legislators has launched “End the ICE Age,” a campaign urging Congress to defund and eliminate U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “Loved ones are still dying in ICE detention right now, living in…
‘CatsOnACouch’ influencer sues over First Amendment rights
An online influencer with a penchant for criticizing and lampooning the Trump administration sued the federal government for blocking her from attending a public event where Vice President JD Vance was speaking. Falmouth, Maine, resident Amanda McGonigle’s federal lawsuit accuses…