Press Statement
For Immediate Release: 7.23.26
Contact: John Manning, media@firstliberty.org
Direct: 972-941-4453
President Trump and Department of Justice Update Guidance to Strengthen Federal Religious Liberty Protections
New guidance directs all executive agencies to adopt policies that comply with recent Supreme Court rulings protecting religious liberty, parental rights.
Washington, DC—The U.S. Department of Justice today issued new guidance instructing all “executive departments and agencies to ensure that federal programs, employment practices, contracting, rulemaking, and enforcement actions comply with the Constitution, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) of 1993, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and other applicable federal laws.”
The following statement regarding the new guidance may be attributed to Kelly Shackelford, President, CEO, and Chief Counsel for First Liberty Institute:
We are tremendously grateful to President Trump for his strong efforts to protect America’s first freedom—religious freedom. This updated guidance will ensure that the federal government will respect the religious liberty rights of all Americans when implementing the President’s policies. We will continue to fight with the President to ensure that religious liberty is protected for all Americans.
The guidance includes references to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the right of former high school football coach and First Liberty Institute client Joe Kennedy to take a knee in quiet prayer after football games even if he can be seen by students and the general public. Importantly, the decision respects the Constitutional rights of all public-school teachers and coaches to engage in a brief, personal prayer in public. It also includes First Liberty’s victory in Groff v DeJoy, which held that federal law requires workplaces to accommodate their religious employees unless doing so would cause significant difficulty or expense on the business.
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About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact John Manning at media@firstliberty.org.
