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, March 20, 2025
News on the lawsuit:
There is no new news on our lawsuit.
The second, similar Friends General Conference (FGC), has a hearing for the preliminary injunction motion scheduled for Friday, April 4th in Washington, D.C. This suit is managed by the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP) at Georgetown Law which will hold meetings and prayer vigils in Washington, DC the day before the hearing. 

Take Action:
PYM Friends and meetings will learn and discern how we can create safe spaces for people who are not safe in our country at Annual Sessions.  We will focus on four areas: Taking action, building relationships, advocating with elected officials, and learning.  Some meetings have started exploring actions and relationships already.  You can connect with others to test ideas, share inspiration and troubleshoot at connect.pym.org.

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 to PYM for suit against DHS from Medford Monthly Meeting
    on March 19, 2025

    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

  • Minute of Support from Birmingham Friends
    on March 17, 2025

    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

  • Minute of Support from St. Petersburg Monthly Meeting
    on March 11, 2025

    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

  • Minute of Support from Kennett Monthly Meeting
    on March 11, 2025

    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

  • Minute of Support from Haverford Monthly Meeting
    on March 11, 2025

    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

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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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