On Oct. 20, the Mennonite Church USA and the Church of the Brethren and their 25 co-plaintiffs won an important ruling in their “sensitive location” lawsuit, Mennonite Church USA v. U.S Department of Homeland Security.
Marcia Sowles
Loving our immigrant neighbors
It was already a timely topic when it was scheduled as one of the Equipping Sessions at the 2026 Annual Conference—but the events of the past few days led “Loving Our Immigrant Neighbors: Legal Updates, Ally Resources, and US Militarism” to be a standing-room-only session, with the seats filled and many people leaning on walls and sitting on the floor.
Church of the Brethren supports asylum seekers in case before Supreme Court
The Supreme Court this week heard arguments in the case Noem v. Al Otro Lado in which the Church of the Brethren has joined an interfaith amicus brief filed in the Supreme Court on behalf of the plaintiffs. On Feb. 17, the Church of the Brethren joined with 30 other denominations and faith organizations in filing the amici curiae brief. The interfaith amicus brief was coordinated by the Kairos Center on Religion, Rights, and Justice.
Church of the Brethren joins amici curiae brief in the Supreme Court
On Feb. 17, the Church of the Brethren joined with 30 other denominations and faith organizations in filing an amici curiae brief in the Supreme Court in support of the plaintiffs in Noem v. Al Otro Lado, No. 25-5. The case is challenging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) authority to prevent individuals from filing for asylum at ports of entry.
Court of Appeals will hear argument in sensitive location lawsuit on Feb. 5
On Thursday, Feb. 5, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Washington, D.C., will hear opening oral arguments in an appeal for injunctive relief in the “sensitive locations” lawsuit, “Mennonite Church USA et al., v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, et al.” The Church of the Brethren is a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
Recent federal actions affect a wide swath of the immigrant and refugee community
The following immigration changes along with increasingly harmful rhetoric from this administration affect many of our fellow Church of the Brethren members, neighbors, friends, and family members. These sweeping decisions create uncertainty, feelings of rejection and confusion, and an increased fear of detention and deportation in a period of waiting.
Office of Peacebuilding and Policy shares update on Mennonite USA v. DHS
On Sept. 22, the Church of the Brethren and other plaintiffs filed their opening brief in their appeal of the district court’s decision denying their motion for a preliminary injunction in Mennonite USA v. DHS.
Judge finds in favor of US Institute of Peace, USIP retakes control of its headquarters
As reported in the Brethren bits section of Newsline on March 21 (see www.brethren.org/news/2025/brethren-bits-68), President Trump sought to dismantle the US Institute of Peace (USIP) by removing its leadership and having personnel from a newly created federal office, called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), forcibly take over the institute’s headquarters on March 17. The fired USIP board members filed a lawsuit
Arlington Church participates ‘beyond the signature’ with CWS Journey for Justice Challenge
By Marcia Sowles On May 8, Church World Service (CWS) held a webinar titled “Beyond the Signature” to highlight the steps that congregations that signed the Ash Wednesday Declaration can take to advocate for and support refugees and immigrants. The webinar reviewed the actions taken by the US administration against immigrant and refugees and offered
