Minnesota churches roiled by legal battle over ICE surveillance and right to protest

Giovanna Dell'Orto, Associated Press Giovanna Dell'Orto, Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Court cases involving Twin Cities churches and immigration enforcement highlight how the acrimonious debate continues to roil faith communities more than six months since the federal surge turned Minnesota into a symbol of defiance of the Trump administration's policies.

In one case, a Minneapolis Baptist church — alongside congregations nationwide — asked for the government to be reprimanded after spying on protest-related activity on its property. In another, more than three dozen protesters have asked for their charges to be dismissed after they disrupted a worship service in a St. Paul church where one of the pastors was also a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official.

Even congregations uninvolved in the court cases say they're still feeling the repercussions of the weekslong surge in immigration operations last winter. Protesters confronted federal law enforcement daily, and the killing of two protesters sparked global outcry.

READ MORE: AP analysis: Justice Department went after protesters for felony assault, but juries and judges were unconvinced

Immigration agents are no longer visibly active on the same residential block as Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. But its pastor says the signs that went up in January stating "Everyone is welcome here! Except I.C.E." have stayed.

"I don't foresee a time when they will come down. We want our building to remain a sanctuary for many people," said the Rev. Ingrid Rasmussen. Her church provided whistles, which protesters across the city used to alert neighbors about law enforcement presence.

For decades, congregations have been on the front lines of providing for immigrants and refugees, whether in their faith communities or with outreach ranging from food distribution at the U.S.-Mexico border to advocacy in Washington.

As part of its sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration, President Donald Trump's current administration gave agents more leeway to make arrests at houses of worship.

In response, dozens of religious groups sued, heralding a more openly adversarial relationship between many faith leaders and federal authorities.

READ MORE: Body camera video offers a rare look inside an immigration raid at a New York factory

That has continued through surges last fall and winter in various parts of the country, with faith leaders arrested during anti-enforcement protests and suing to make pastoral visits to detained migrants.

"There's been a pretty dramatic increase in lawsuits filed related to people of faith's support for migrants," said Elizabeth Reiner Platt, director of the Law, Rights and Religion Project at Union Theological Seminary.

Faith groups have achieved several "promising" wins, she said, adding that ongoing litigation shows how unpopular the administration's aggressive enforcement approach is with many religious people.