The Interfaith Center of New York condemns—in the strongest possible terms—President Donald Trump’s directive rescinding the “sensitive site” guidelines that have, in the past, limited ICE enforcement actions in houses of worship, schools, court buildings, and hospitals.
The directive, issued on January 21, 2025, permits ICE and other federal agents to enter houses of worship at any time, sowing chaos and fear among all those who have gathered for spiritual and physical sustenance —immigrant and non-immigrant alike.
Trump’s new policy is a violation of religious freedom, the public good, and common sense.
We are not alone in seeking protection of this bedrock American principle enshrined in the US Constitution. ICNY shares a commitment to religious liberty with a wide range of faith leaders and elected officials, both locally and nationally.
In an Op Ed in America Magazine, Cardinal Archbishop Timothy Dolan spoke up for the religious liberty of Roman Catholics and Catholic social service agencies against lawmakers who, in 2023, were “waging slanderous attacks against us for assisting newcomers, including refugees and asylum seekers.” Cardinal Dolan went on to say that all “people of faith–Jews, Christians, Muslims and others—also realize that we have a moral duty to welcome, clothe, feed and respect newcomers, no matter how they got here. And here in the United States, the government can’t punish us for that belief.”
The Interfaith Center of New York invites you to join us as we stand shoulder to shoulder with New York City faith leaders from every tradition and community who continue their moral duty in the face of opposition from the White House.
