Attorney General Paxton has joined a multistate amicus brief in the U. S. Supreme Court in support of petitioners in Zhang Jingrong v. Chinese Anti-Cult World Alliance. In this case, a religious group known as the Falun Gong, which originated in China, experienced persecution and harassment on American soil. The Falun Gong sued under a federal statute, arguing that they were victims of threats or acts of violence intended to chill their First Amendment right to free religious worship. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, sitting in New York, ruled against the Falon Gong, narrowly interpreting the statute to protect religious groups only in very specific circumstances.
The amicus brief argues that the Second Circuit improperly narrowed the statute’s scope, resulting in insufficient protection of the Falun Gong’s religious liberty. The brief urges the Supreme Court to correct that error: “Religious liberty is fundamental to our federal regime and to day-to-day life in every State. The Court should take this case and reverse.”
To read the amicus brief click here.