MILWAUKEE — More than 100 churches in Southeast Wisconsin have joined a federal lawsuit seeking to restore protections against immigration enforcement in sensitive locations like churches, schools, and hospitals.
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The Trump administration ended those protections earlier this year. The lawsuit, filed over the summer in Massachusetts, claims the policy infringes on individuals' First Amendment right to freedom of religion.
"I know that there are a lot of folks that come to understand that while the government has a job to do, there should be some places that people need to come that should be free from government interference and intervention," Paul Erickson said.
Erickson leads the Greater Milwaukee Synod, part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The synod has almost 60,000 members across the state, with five of its churches offering services in Spanish.
Erickson said he sees the most impact at Spanish-speaking congregations, claiming a dramatic drop in attendance at both worship services and social programs.
Watch: Wisconsin churches in lawsuit to restore immigration enforcement protections
"The number of people participating in those food pantries have been dramatically reduced, and when they ask them, 'Hey, we miss you, what's going on,' people say, 'I'm afraid that ICE is going to pick me up,'" Erickson said.
The president's supporters feel differently about the policy change.
"These safe zones should be safe for American citizens, not safe for people who have broken the law and are here illegally," Hilario Deleon said.
Deleon serves as Milwaukee County's GOP chairperson. He's confident deportations will continue, regardless of pushback from religious organizations.
"They can file as many lawsuits as they want, but at the end, I believe the Supreme Court is going to continue to uphold what the administration is putting forward in terms of their policy towards immigration," Deleon said.
Erickson hopes the lawsuit will prevail, ending what he describes as fear in his community.
"Fear is something that rips apart communities, and we believe in scripture that says perfect love casts out all fear, so we have to engage in righteous acts of love and compassion and solidarity in community to combat the forces of fear," Erickson said.
The lawsuit is still being argued in federal court.
"This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
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