The lawsuit comes after Catholic clergy and women religious were allegedly blocked from providing religious ministry to Broadview ICE detainees.
The lawsuit comes after Catholic clergy and women religious were allegedly blocked from providing religious ministry to Broadview ICE detainees.
The Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL) filed a federal lawsuit Nov. 19 against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice and President Donald Trump, alleging federal agencies unlawfully blocked Catholic clergy and women religious from providing religious ministry to detained immigrants at the Broadview ICE facility.
Loyola Pastoral Studies professor and co-founder of CSPL Michael Okińczyc-Cruz was one of six plaintiffs named in the legal briefing.
The lawsuit argues the restrictions violate the First Amendment, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.
Loyola philosophy Ph.D. student and member of CSPL’s clergy council David Inczauskis said the lawsuit has entered a waiting period after a judge encouraged the parties to attempt a settlement before proceeding to trial.
“We filed the brief, we filed the suit and then we received a response from the judge, who recommended that we actually settle the issue that we have with ICE before going to trial,” Inczauskis said. “So where we are right now is a waiting period where ICE has to decide whether or not they want to settle.”
An initial hearing, open to the public, has been scheduled for 10 a.m. Feb. 12 at the U.S. District Court at 219 South Dearborn Street in the case that a settlement is not reached, though Inczauskis said he and other CSPL members are confident in the possibility of ICE settling.
The lawsuit follows multiple actions organized by CSPL in the fall after clergy and women religious were denied access to the Broadview facility.
Nearly 2,000 people gathered outside the Broadview ICE facility Nov. 1 for a People’s Mass organized by CSPL. During the Mass, Catholic priests and women religious requested access to the facility to deliver Holy Communion to detained individuals. ICE denied the request over the phone, stating there were no detainees within Broadview at the time, The Phoenix previously reported.
The Nov. 1 action followed a similar Oct. 11 demonstration when CSPL organized a eucharistic procession to the Broadview facility and was denied access.
Rather than ending there, CSPL and several Catholic sisters and clergy members moved forward with legal action.
Pivotal to the request is the frequency at which clergy would be permitted to offer communions to detained individuals. CSPL requested daily access, according to Inczauskis.
“Now, that was an ambitious request,” Inczauskis said. “I think it would be great to have access every day, because though some people are in there for a long period of time, there are also people who are in there for a shorter period of time.”
Inczauskis said access is especially urgent as Illinois pushed to eliminate in-state detention centers, leading to many detainees being transferred out of state — far from family, attorneys and faith communities.
Since the lawsuit was filed, the issue has received national attention from outlets including NPR, The New York Times and The Chicago Sun-Times. Inczauskis said the coverage has helped hold the Trump administration accountable.
“It’s also demonstrating to the broader public in the United States that Catholics, or at least a significant segment of Catholics, are not going to be silent,” Inczauskis said. “They’re not going to stand idly by. We’re going to take concrete actions to support our migrant sisters and brothers who are at risk of being detained and deported.”
Inczauskis said the attention challenges perceptions that Christianity is aligned with the current administration.
“The administration would like to see Christians, broadly construed, aligned with them,” Inczauskis said. “We saw in a recent speech from Donald Trump that he said he thought God was proud of him for what he was doing. We want to develop a counter-narrative.”
The Catholic Bishop of America’s official view on the topic of immigration — providing pastoral care to immigrants.
Catholic priests, women religious and CSPL members held a press conference Dec. 19 where they delivered a formal letter to DHS requesting immediate pastoral access to the Broadview ICE facility ahead of Christmas. The request was denied.
CSPL’s organizing efforts have since expanded to Loyola, where students and leaders are in the process of launching a campus chapter. The meeting held at 8 p.m. Jan. 21 opened with a prayer led by fourth-year psychology major and officer Amy Abueg, asking for guidance, justice and mercy for migrants and marginalized communities.
Fourth-year philosophy major and officer Matthew Battaglia said the organization’s mission is rooted in faith-based action.
“We help people encounter the historical Jesus, a radical disruptor of the status quo,” Battaglia said. “We equip people with faith and skills to build systems that advance racial, economic, social and environmental justice through direct action.”
Fourth-year history major and officer Harry Brooker encouraged students to remain engaged as CSPL expects ICE activity to increase in the following months. Student involvement in fundraising and CSPL’s rapid response teams will be critical moving forward.
“The thing that we need the most from all of you is to spread the word,” Brooker said. “We need people. We need bodies in the room.”
Third-year political science major Ariana Santos said she hopes the new Loyola chapter will encourage students to get involved.
“Action is the antidote to apathy,” Santos said.
Additional events and training are planned in the coming weeks, including an Ash Wednesday People’s Mass 5 p.m. Feb. 18 in Melrose Park and a “Know Your Faith, Know Your Rights” training Feb. 7 at Catholic Theological Union. More information will be shared with interested students as details are finalized.
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