DOJ weighs in as ADF seeks order blocking MS city’s ban on drive-in church services

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Ryan Tucker regarding a motion for temporary restraining order that ADF attorneys filed Monday and a statement of interest that the U.S. Department of Justice filed Tuesday in Temple Baptist Church v. City of Greenville, a legal challenge to the city’s ban on drive-in church services during the coronavirus crisis:

“In Greenville, you can be in your car with the windows rolled down at a drive-in restaurant, but you can’t be in your car with the windows rolled up at a drive-in church service. To target churches that way is both nonsensical and unconstitutional. This is why we have asked the court for a temporary restraining order to immediately halt enforcement of the city’s order while our lawsuit moves forward, and it’s also why the U.S. government has filed a statement of interest that urges the court to rule in the church’s favor. We appreciate the DOJ’s support for our position that this type of government action isn’t necessary to protect health and safety. It only serves to unnecessarily violate Americans’ freedoms protected by the First Amendment.”

• ADF COVID-19 resource page

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.

# # # | Ref. 73134