Minnesota Faith Leaders Sue DHS Over Denied Clergy Access at ICE’s Whipple Facility

Overview

• The Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA, the Minnesota Conference of the UCC, and Jesuit priest Rev. Christopher Collins filed the suit on Feb. 23 naming DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, and other officials.
• Plaintiffs cite repeated turnaways since December, including a Dec. 12 attempt to pray for a detainee and Ash Wednesday efforts to impose ashes, and they seek an injunction plus a written visitation policy for clergy.
• The complaint says Whipple functions as both processing and short-term detention during Operation Metro Surge, disputing DHS characterizations that have been used to bar pastoral visits for safety reasons.
• A separate case produced a Feb. 12 order from U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel requiring private attorney access and a 72-hour transfer hold, with a new directive for DHS to produce evidence on detainee access by Wednesday.
• A federal judge in Illinois recently compelled clergy access at a suburban Chicago facility for Ash Wednesday, and Minnesota outlets report DHS and ICE have not announced any new clergy-access policy or provided comment on the suit.