At Campos Law Firm, we closely monitor developments in U.S. immigration policy to protect our clients’ rights and future. On Monday, October 5, 2026, the Archdiocese of St. Louis filed a federal lawsuit because immigration detainees at the Ste. Genevieve County jail in Missouri cannot go to confession, receive Communion, or take part in other sacraments in private.
The case reaches beyond one jail: it is a reminder that being in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody does not mean losing all your rights. Below, we explain what we know and what you can do.
What Is the Archdiocese Challenging?
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri against top Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials and the local sheriff. According to Reuters, priests may visit detainees only during a four-hour window on Mondays and only by telephone through a glass partition. That leaves no privacy for confession, and Church law does not allow confession by electronic means.
When priests asked to give Communion, the jail proposed that a guard pass the consecrated hosts to detainees in a container, a proposal Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski called “sacrilegious.” “They cannot hear confessions, they cannot celebrate Mass, they cannot give the anointing of the sick to any of the detainees,” he told Reuters. According to the archdiocese, most of the roughly 150 detainees are Hispanic Catholics.
What Does the Lawsuit Ask For, and What Do Officials Say?
The archdiocese wants priests to receive the same access as attorneys and consular officials, who already get exceptions to the no-contact visiting rule, according to St. Louis Public Radio. The suit invokes the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), and Missouri’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
According to Reuters, ICE’s website says clergy may visit detainees at any time as long as they notify the sheriff’s office; the lawsuit alleges ICE is not enforcing its own policy. The sheriff’s office previously said it avoids direct contact to keep contraband out and said it had not yet received the lawsuit.
What Rights Do You Keep in Immigration Detention?
Immigration detention is civil, not criminal. It limits your freedom, but not all of your rights. In general terms:
- A lawyer: you may have an attorney in your case, although the government does not appoint a free one in immigration proceedings.
- Your consulate: you can ask that your consulate be notified and communicate with it.
- Religion: ICE detention standards include rules on religious practice, and federal law protects the religious freedom of people in detention.
- Communication: you can ask to contact your family and your attorney, subject to facility rules.
Having these rights does not mean they are always respected, as this case shows. Conditions can vary from one facility to another.
What Can Your Family Do If a Loved One Is Detained?
- Locate them: use ICE’s Online Detainee Locator with the Alien Registration Number (A-number) or the person’s name and country of birth.
- Make requests in writing: ask the facility for religious or attorney visits and keep a copy of every request.
- Document problems: dates, names, and responses. That information can be key to a complaint or lawsuit.
- Get legal advice early: an attorney can evaluate options such as bond, habeas corpus, or a defense in immigration court.
In a country where every decision can change your future, having the right information is your best tool. You can also revisit our explainer on federal courts stepping in over conditions in ICE detention centers.
Protect Your Immigration Status with Campos Law Firm
When a relative is detained, every day counts and the anguish is enormous. Our immigration attorneys can locate your loved one, review the case, and defend their rights inside and outside the detention center. Campos Law Firm is here to help you. From immigrants, for immigrants.
Do not leave your immigration status to chance. Call us today at +1 (844) 922-6767 to schedule a free, confidential consultation in English or Spanish. Campos Law Firm: Legal Solutions in All Areas of Law.
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