Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

PYM Lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security

On January 23, PYM joined our neighbors in New England and Baltimore Yearly Meetings as plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed against the Department of Homeland Security. The suit challenges an immigration enforcement decision that interferes with and could significantly impact freedom of religion.

Please find additional information about this lawsuit below.

Update from the General Secretary

Thursday, February 20, 2025

  • Our case was heard by a judge as an emergency motion last Thursday.  We are now waiting for the judge’s opinion to be issued.
  • We posted a story to respond to the questions: What can meetings do to support the suit and what can meetings do beyond the suit.  Dozens of meetings within PYM and across the world have shared minutes of support for our engagement in the lawsuit.
  • There are two separate lawsuits in motion that are relevant to our suit and that are by organizations that PYM is a member of.
    • A suit very similar to ours was filed on behalf of 28 faith communities, most of which are state-wide or national. Friends General Conference (FGC) is a member of this suit, representing Quakers from across the country – including PYM. Read more in Friends Journal.
    • Church World Service (CWS) is a faith-based nonprofit whose ability to provide critical services to refugees around the world has been severely inhibited by the current administration’s suspension of the U.S. refugee resettlement program (USRAP) and its withholding of funding for related services. CWS and two other organizations (HIAS – a Jewish nonprofit that provides aid to refugees – and Lutheran Community Services Northwest) filed a lawsuit asking the court to declare the executive order suspending USRAP illegal and restore refugee-related funding. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, February 25.
  • From our lawyers at Democracy Forward: “We have filed more than a dozen legal challenges to the administration’s conduct, and along with others, including the state AGs, there have been more than 70 court challenges to the administration’s harmful agenda.  We have won court orders that have stopped harm and impacted the lives of millions– but there’s more work to do, and we all need to be part of it.” Join Democracy Forward on Thursday, February 20th at 9 pm ET, 6 PM PT for a Town Hall.

Read Past Updates here. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Overview of the Lawsuit
PYM being, represented pro bono by Democracy Forward, alongside other yearly meetings, monthly meetings, and religious groups are challenging a policy that allows immigration enforcement near houses of worship. Quakers have historically defended religious freedom, and this case continues that work. Read the full story.
PYM’s decision process
On January 20th, the president signed an executive order allowing ICE agents to enter places of worship to detain immigrants, overturning a decades-old policy protecting “sensitive places.”

Between January 17th and the morning of the 21st, Christie Duncan-Tessmer, general secretary of PYM, attended meetings with attorneys, the Clerks Group, and general secretaries of other yearly meetings to discuss options.

The decision to participate was unusual, requiring an immediate response and legal confidentiality. The Joint Council of PYM was positioned to support the yearly meeting in making this decision. Read the full story.

Quaker Meetings & ICE
As a community rooted in worship and witness, Quaker Meetings should be prepared if ICE or law enforcement officials arrive at a meetinghouse. There are many ways we can provide support and be in solidarity and live out our testimonies. Learn more here // View the Fact Sheet here.
How meetings can take action
Friends and meetings want to be able to support the lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security. While there is not a direct role, such as joining the suit, there are a number of important things that can be done. Learn more here. Meetings can also take action beyond the scope of the suit. Learn more here

News about the DHS Lawsuit

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Minutes of Support from Meetings

  • Minute of Support from Richland Monthly Meeting
    on February 21, 2025

    Minute of Support Recorded on February 9, 2025 Richland Monthly Meeting would like to add its support for the lawsuit that Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends, along

  • Minute of Support from Middletown Monthly Meeting (Lima, PA)
    on February 20, 2025

    Review of the PYM & other Quaker organizations suit against Department of Homeland Security The clerk asked the Meeting if it wanted to minute its support for the PYM/other Quaker

  • Message from St. John’s Worship Group, Newfoundland and Labrador
    on February 20, 2025

    Dear Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Baltimore Yearly Meeting, New England Yearly Meeting, Adelphi Friends Meeting & Richmond Friends Meeting, We are from St. John’s Quaker Friends Worship Group, a meeting in

  • Minute from North Shore Friends Monthly Meeting
    on February 20, 2025

    North Shore Friends Monthly Meeting commends NEYM for their prompt action in partnering with Friends in Philadelphia and Baltimore Yearly Meetings in a lawsuit challenging new policy changes which would

  • A Greeting from Northern Monthly Meeting
    on February 20, 2025

    Dear Friends, I am writing to you in my role as clerk of Northern Monthly Meeting, based in Auckland New Zealand. We have heard of your combined lawsuit  to the federal court of

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Press Coverage

For more information or additional questions, please contact Nikki Mosgrove, Presiding Clerk of PYM, at nmosgrove@pym.org, or Christie Duncan-Tessmer, General Secretary of PYM, at cduncan-tessmer@pym.org.

 

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