(The Center Square) – Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are blocked from entering churches of Cooperative Baptists, Quakers and Sikhs to carry out enforcement operations unless they have a warrant, or in certain specified circumstances, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled.
Upholding last year’s preliminary injunction, the appellate court’s unanimous decision from a three-judge panel also applies to other agents in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The injunction restored part of a sensitive location policy that had been revoked by Homeland Security.
Many churches within CBF since have posted signage letting everyone, including immigrants to America who broke the law when entering the country, know that their location is protected by the injunction. To enter America from another country, if not a U.S. citizen, a visa or some other travel authorization is required to be presented at a port of entry.
In a statement, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley said in part, “We remain steadfast in our commitment to religious liberty, local church autonomy and the clear separation of church and state. For decades, our congregations have faithfully engaged in ministry among immigrants and refugees, offering a bold and courageous witness to the remarkable and relentless love of Christ. We give thanks that the court has preserved these protections while the case moves forward, allowing our congregations to worship and minister freely.”
Prior guidelines from 2021 in the Biden administration are to be followed. Requests for comment by the government from multiple outlets were declined or not answered.
The panel of judges included Barbara Keenan, Steven Agee and Pamela Harris. They were nominated by, respectively, Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Obama.
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship was born in Atlanta in 1991, bringing together moderate and progressive Baptists. While first stating it was not to rival the more entrenched Southern Baptist Convention, CBF did begin as a response to fundamentalism and conservative surges in the SBC. Issues prompting divide included inerrancy in Scripture, the role of women, and a route for global missions and ministry in line with moderate values.
Many churches have, or had, dual alignment with both organizations for years. Headquartered in Decatur, Ga., there are more than 1,800 member and partner churches and approximately 750,000 members of CBF.
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has organizations mostly in the South and mid-Atlantic, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Oklahoma and Texas.
The Catholic Church, at roughly 61.8 million members, is the largest faith-based group or denomination in America. Southern Baptists are the largest protestant denomination at 17.6 million.
There are an estimated 500,000 or more Sikhs. Quakers number about 100,000 or less nationwide
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