Leading Faith Group Asks Court to Uphold Order Stopping National Guard Deployment in California 

San Francisco, CA – The Interfaith Alliance, which is a leading network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs committed to democracy, today offered their perspective in a key court case that seeks to stop President Trump’s illegal use of the military in Los Angeles for law enforcement activities. In a brief filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the Interfaith Alliance urged the court to uphold a court order issued by a district court that blocked President Trump from continuing his illegal deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. The case is Newsom v. Trump and Interfaith Alliance is represented by Democracy Forward. 

“Interfaith Alliance has an important interest in the outcome of this case because it implicates the First Amendment rights of the organization’s members and others belonging to diverse faith communities in the United States,” reads the brief. “As the district court recognized, the order at issue in this appeal prohibiting the illegal deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles promotes the public interest by safeguarding the right to engage in public protest. That right is particularly vital for members of faith communities, many of which regard protesting injustice as an expression of their faith.”

“When people of faith take to the streets, they are living out their deepest religious convictions, while exercising their First Amendment rights,” said Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance. “Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Assembly, and the Free Exercise values of the First Amendment work together to protect faith-based protests. From the diverse faith communities who marched during the Civil Rights Movement to today’s faith leaders standing with immigrants and the marginalized, religious protest has always been central to American democracy. The government cannot be allowed to silence these sacred expressions through the use of authoritarian military force.”

“President Trump’s lawlessness is a threat to the First Amendment and chills the fundamental rights of people of faith everywhere,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “We are honored to work with the brave faith leaders at the Interfaith Alliance to ensure the court knows that people of every denomination are united in demanding the court honor their First Amendment rights and that President Trump stop using the National Guard to prevent free speech. 

“As he announces that he will send a federalized national guard into more American cities, our team at Democracy Forward will remain focused on opposing these escalations and on supporting the needs of people, our Constitution, and our nation,” Perryman continued. 

The legal team at Democracy Forward on this case includes Simon Brewer and Brian Netter. 

To read the full brief, please click here.

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Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org. 

‍Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information, visit interfaithalliance.org.