Minister warns Trump pledge to make America a 'beacon for religious liberty' is 'a sham'

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Donald Trump in front of St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. on June 1, 2020 (Creative Commons)

President Donald Trump's promise to transform America into a "beacon for religious liberty" is "a sham," writes Liz Reiner Platt and Rev. Fred Davie in Salon.

Platt, a legal expert specializing in religious freedom, and Davie, a Presbyterian minister and former vice chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, say they are "gravely concerned about how the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant agenda is undermining our nation’s founding promise of religious liberty."

For over 30 years, a “sensitive locations” policy has restricted immigration enforcement activities at houses of worship, religious ceremonies, hospitals and schools, they explain, but Trump revoked that policy the day he took office, enabling "ICE agents to surveil and arrest people as they worship."

The authors also cite incidences of immigration agents seizing people seeking asylum after escaping religious persecution, and Republican leaders opening investigations into religious nonprofits that serve migrants — "baselessly suggesting that the organizations are only serving them to enrich their own coffers or, even more outrageously, engage in money laundering."

"All of these attacks have created a culture of fear that is further crushing religious liberty," they write, saying people have stopped going to houses of worship because they are afraid of being "confronted by ICE."

"Slowly but surely, this is weakening fellowship and community bonds — the hallmarks of many religious groups," they say.

But the authors say they are encouraged by history that has shown these persecutions can indeed be thwarted.

"We are well-equipped to meet today’s moment if we learn from this history. Many groups are already applying these lessons by engaging in protest, preaching, advocacy, direct support and litigation to fight for their immigrant neighbors," they write. "This includes championing our First Amendment right to worship freely."

They also advocate for using the legal system "to the best of our ability," and for more people to come forward to protect these rights.

"We need people with power and resources to vocally support and materially protect migrants. History shows that defending targeted communities requires us to emphatically reject fear-mongering and to provide the resources they need to stay safe," they say.

Many faith communities are stepping up, they say, but there needs to be more.

"We proudly support the prospect of a nation where everyone can worship freely. Unfortunately, if Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda continues, we’ll never achieve that vision," they write.

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