The Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security used “shifting, contradictory, and often opaque communication” to deny clergy the ability to pray with detainees at the ICE facility in Broadview, including late immigrant activists Sister Pat Murphy and Sister JoAnn Persch.

The group attempted to provide communion for detainees at the facility in October as well as earlier this month , but were denied both times, with officials citing “safety and security concerns,” according to the lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court. The group accused the government of violating federal law as well as the First Amendment rights of religious officials and detainees.

“A non-specific reference to safety and security is not sufficient to deny the rights of

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