Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Minutes

Minute of Support to PYM for suit against DHS from Medford Monthly Meeting

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PSJ Committee
Minute of Support to PYM for suit against DHS
Read at March 2, 2025 Business Meeting

“At the February 2, 2025 Meeting for Worship for Business, Medford Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends approved the following support of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) for the courage and conviction shown in joining New England Yearly Meeting, Baltimore Yearly Meeting, Adelphi and Richmond Monthly Meetings as plaintiffs in their lawsuit to block the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from its abrupt shift in policy that enables federal immigration enforcement officials to enter houses of worship for their immigration enforcement actions.
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Minute of Support from Birmingham Friends

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Approved by Birmingham Friends At Monthly Meeting for Business 
March 2, 2025
Birmingham Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends fully supports the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and all other Yearly Meetings as plaintiffs in bringing a lawsuit to block the US Department of Homeland Security  from allowing federal officials to enter houses of worship to enforce immigration enforcement actions.  We agree that armed government agents monitoring or entering our place of worship is in opposition to our religious practices and beliefs. We believe that houses of worship are sacred spaces and that this kind of activity disrupts worship and instills fear. We fully endorse the position that the Court should declare unconstitutional the enforcement policy that has been issued by the Department of Homeland Security.

Minute of Support from St. Petersburg Monthly Meeting

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Dear friends at Philadelphia Yearly Meeting,

At our Meeting for Business on March 2nd, we recorded the following minute of support:

St. Petersburg Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends is united in our support for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends et al v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security et al.

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Minute of Support from Kennett Monthly Meeting

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Kennett Friends Meeting offers support, encouragement, gratitude, and Light to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting for its lawsuit: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends et al. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Kristi Noem.

We appreciate the swift response of the General Secretary, Clerks and committee members who acted with purpose, clarity, courage, and conviction in making this happen. Kennett Friends are in unity with PYM and can affirm that you have acted on our behalf. Houses of worship are sacred spaces and are not subject to capricious actions resulting from changes in government.

With deep appreciation and support,

Kennett Friends Meeting

Respectfully submitted by

Barbara Harrison McPherson. Recording clerk

Minute of Support from Haverford Monthly Meeting

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Haverford Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends has been welcoming Quakers and non-Quakers to its Meetings for Worship since before our Meetinghouse was built in 1834. The result of such a welcoming approach has consistently been spiritual deepening in our religious community.  Haverford Monthly Meeting strongly supports Philadelphia Yearly Meeting along with Baltimore, New York, and New England Yearly Meetings in pursuing the lawsuit against the United States Department of Homeland Security regarding the deployment of enforcement agents in houses of worship.

Submitted to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

By Clerk Dick Lytton

March 11, 2025

Minute of Support from Southampton Monthly Meeting

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Southampton Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends met on February 9th at 9:00am to discern a path forward, “in unity”, regarding recent changes in our country’s immigration and enforcement policies. We are clear in our support of those among us who are committed to answering that of God within them to help forge a better life here in the United States for both themselves and those in the greater community. We are equally clear in our support for Philadelphia Yearly Meetings’ actions in response to recent immigration enforcement changes.

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Minute of Support from Plymouth Monthly Meeting

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During Second Month, 2025 Meeting for Worship with attention to business, Plymouth Monthly Meeting minuted their unity with Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security for rescinding the policy protecting immigrants from ICE enforcement in places of worship. Our Meetings for Worship are shared sacramental moments of intimacy with the Divine in which all in attendance participate. Interruption or removal of a participant is not only disruptive but clearly destructive to the sacramental moment of prayerful engagement with God.

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Minute to Support from Cincinnati Monthly Meeting

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Minute to Support Lawsuit filed in US District Court by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, New England Yearly Meeting, Baltimore Yearly Meeting, New York Yearly Meeting, Adelphi Friends Monthly Meeting, and Richmond Friends Monthly Meeting against U.S. Homeland Security and Kristi Noem.

In response to our testimonies of Inclusion, Community and Equality we have for 21O years created a space where human beings all the children of God could come and worship. We recognize that some of us have achieved citizenship, some have green cards, some visas and some in limbo or lacking official documentation. We believe each of us carries the Light therefore every individual who attends presents an opportunity for God to speak through them. Having a diversity and richness of human experience yields a fuller understanding of how God speaks to us, individually and as a community. [Read more…] about Minute to Support from Cincinnati Monthly Meeting

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